Tell it to SunStar: Where is the rice assistance?

On Monday, Oct. 9, 2023, we formally asked the National Food Authority (NFA) about the status of the one-time rice assistance for government employees for fiscal year 2022. It could be recalled that on Dec. 16, 2022, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the Administrative Order (AO) 2 authorizing the grant of 25 kilos of one-time rice assistance to all of its employees.

No matter how small it may seem, we are grateful that the government will be providing its employees with this one-time rice assistance. But we felt dismayed when January and February came to an end and we still hadn’t received the promised rice.

The NFA, according to the AO, shall issue the necessary guidelines within 10 days to implement the order, including an efficient and effective mechanism for the distribution of the rice assistance.

Some teachers finally reported receiving theirs in June of this year after waiting through March, April, and May. Unfortunately, a lot of them grumbled about the poor quality of grains that were given out. There have been complaints that some were rotten or bukbok-infested, while others claimed that it was odorous and unfit for human consumption.

The group said that until now, many teachers including the majority in Metro Manila are still waiting for their rice assistance.

We would like to think that the NFA may have been cautious in distributing the rice because of the concerns raised earlier, which is why it took longer. Sadly, there has been a delay of almost a year, and we are now in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Thus, we would like to formally ask about any updates regarding the rice assistance and have actually requested a discussion with the NFA to consider the teachers’ thoughts and sentiments on how to prevent similar unfortunate events from happening in the future.

Incentives and benefits should be given to teachers with ease so they may feel that they are valued and their dignity is recognized.