City to open more NFA rice outlets

The Cebu City government together with the National Food Authority will install additional rice outlets in the city to answer to the growing demands of the people.

This stems from the problem of grain retailers who said that they do not have enough budget for the transportation of rice to the store outlets.

Market administrator Raquel Arce said the city is willing to help in the hauling of rice to these store outlets, saying that the measure would also allow them to monitor if the bags of rice have indeed reached the people.

There used to be 30 operating outlets in Cebu City but as of now there are only 16. She said that there are 10 applicants interested to fill in for the 14 stores that are inactive.

It was learned that Mayor Tomas Osmeña is prioritizing the mountain barangays. Of the 10 applicants, two are from the mountain barangays of the city.

Further, there is a proposed measure from city administrator Francisco “Bimbo” Fernandez that each outlet will be required to submit 250 names of indigent residents where the outlet is situated.

The city will see to it that there is no duplication of names in order to be fair to the consumers and that the list of names to be submitted will be alphabetized.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas docketed a fact-finding investigation on last Monday’s reported pilferage of NFA rice intended for first grade and kindergarten pupils of the Bantayan Central Elementary School in Bantayan town.

Assistant Ombudsman Virginia Palanca Santiago yesterday ordered the docketing of a fact-finding investigation based on newspaper reports. Santiago said it is “not justified to report that the sacks of rice were missing to immediately exculpate responsible officials from any possible liability.”

Santiago said they will find out if the officials of the Department of Education were not negligent of their responsibility.

The principal of Bantayan Elementary School, Generosa Ladera, reported to the police last Monday that 92 sacks of NFA rice were found to have been stolen.

Santiago said if found out that the DepEd officials were negligent, they could be charged with malversation of government property. — Junel Joe Gato and Jo-ana Marie Desuyo, CNU interns and Fred P. Languido/MEEV