NFA: Sufficient rice supply in typhoon-hit areas

MANILA, Philippines - The National Food Authority (NFA) has assured the people that there is ample supply of rice in all areas and regions hit by Super Typhoon Yolanda, and there is no reason for the victims to panic and resort to unlawful activities.

NFA administrator Orlan Calayag gave the assurance amidst reports that looting has been prevalent in areas ravaged by the typhoon.

He said that the NFA would fulfill its mandate of ensuring the steady and continued supply of rice, even if many of the agency’s personnel were themselves victims of the typhoon.

Calayag said in a statement yesterday that NFA Region 8 director Raul Chong, a diabetic, had been deprived of his insulin injection due to the storm but his poor health did not prevent him from discharging his functions and ensuring that the people within his jurisdiction would have their supply of rice.

Calayag appealed to the typhoon victims to refrain from taking drastic actions such as what happened last Tuesday when a mob stormed and forcibly opened an NFA warehouse in Alangalang, Leyte and ransacked it.

The ensuing stampede resulted in the death of eight people who were crushed as a wall collapsed on them.

Police and soldiers reportedly could only watch helplessly as thousands ransacked the warehouse.

The looters took away 33,000 50-kilo bags of rice and 96,000 50-kilo bags of palay.

An investigation has been started to determine who were behind the attack.

The NFA has also coordinated with authorities to tighten security in their warehouses in storm-affected areas to prevent a repeat of the incident in Alangalang.

Calayag also announced that he has instructed the NFA regional offices in Southern Tagalog, Bicol, Central Visayas and Western Visayas to send rice to Eastern Visayas to beef up the region’s stock.

He said the NFA had already pre-positioned 20,000 sacks of rice from Cebu to be brought to Maasin, Southern Leyte and 20,000 sacks from Mindoro for Coron, Palawan even before Yolanda made landfall in Samar last week.

The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) urged the NFA to immediately distribute free rice to the typhoon victims.

KMP said they received reports that local officials are being told to sign promissory notes for rice to be released to them. – Dino Balabo, Ding Cervantes