CALBAYOG CITY, Samar -- The National Food Authority (NFA) in this city assured Thursday that supply of rice is sufficient, even in Samar province.

NFA Calbayog warehouse supervisor Samuel Castillo said "stock of rice [in Calbayog] is sufficient until January 2014."

Castillo, however, did not disclose the exact number of sacks for security reasons but assured that the NFA warehouse is full, as well as the two warehouses in Catbalogan City.

“As of now, our supplies are not affected by the devastation in Leyte,” he said, adding that they received no instruction yet from NFA regional office to send in sacks of rice to areas affected by Typhoon Yolanda.

“We are on standby in case that happens,” he added.

Tacloban gets supplies from Catbalogan, which in turn gets the supplies from neighboring towns like Basey and from towns in Eastern Samar. These areas, however, also suffered devastation from Yolanda when it struck the region last week.

Castillo said that at present, their immediate concern is the safety of the warehouse.

“Last Tuesday, the NFA manager instructed me to request police and military assistance to secure the warehouse yard in Calbayog. This was after the incident in Alangalang, Leyte, where the NFA warehouse was ransacked,” he said. [Read: 8 dead in rice looting in typhoon-hit Leyte]

He added that the police also informed him of possible looting in Calbayog and Catbalogan.

With this, five military personnel were stationed at the warehouse on Wednesday. Police only patrol the area since the Calbayog police station is near the NFA office.

Asked about panic buying, Castillo said there was none, even from buyers outside the city or province.

The municipalities of Gandara and Tagapul-an, however, already got supplies from Calbayog for relief assistance in their respective areas. (Gerwin Babon/Sunnex)
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