NFA urges LGUS, Sign pact for rice stocks during calamity

CEBU, Philippines - The National Food Authority (NFA) - Cebu Provincial Office urged local government units in Cebu to enter a memorandum of agreement with them for rice procurement so that in times of calamity, rice can be released immediately but payable within 15 days.

NFA Provincial Administrator Nestor Alcoseba said that so far, only five local governments have an agreement with them, which is down from the previous 20.

In a forum yesterday, Alcoseba said that the Cebu Provincial Government is the only one consistent in the rice procurement program.

An LGU who wishes to enter into an agreement with NFA has to pass a resolution authorizing the chief executive and submit a certification from the city or municipal treasurer that they have the funds to pay for the purchase.

“Especially now that it’s typhoon season, mas maayo ug naa silay MOA with us kay makahatag man dayon mi ug rice assistance diha-diha dayon,” Alcoseba said.

Alcoseba said it could be the renewal process that prevented LGUs from renewing their contracts.

With this, they will propose to their head office that instead of a one-year term of the contract, this should be made within the term of a local mayor which is three years.

“Kay hasulan na tingali sila mo-renew, mao ng we will propose nga patas-an ang term sa contract,” Alcoseba said. (Maybe they find it too much of a hassle to renew their contracts.)

Edgar Diez of NFA-7 Enforcement Investigation Office said that rice hoarding is still the most prevalent form of violation committed among rice retailers.

But he stressed that there is no rice crisis as of the moment. Alcoseba said that currently Cebu is flooded with rice. He added that there are three sources of rice supply – the farmers, NFA importation and importation of commercial rice by the private sector.

NFA-7 spokesperson Lucy Rosales said that an estimated 120,000 bags of rice from Vietnam arrived yesterday. But not all of these are for Central Visayas because a portion will go to Region VIII and Zamboanga City.

Rosales said that NFA-7 alone has an inventory of 690,000 bags of rice for Central Visayas.

NFA’s iron fortified rice or dubbed as I-Rice is sold at P27 per kilo by licensed retailers and anybody caught selling at a higher price shall be liable. Those who mix NFA rice with commercial rice and sells these at a higher price shall also made to pay a fine of P4,000 to P8,000 aside from the risk of losing their license.

NFA officials admitted that NFA rice, although cheaper than commercial rice, is not saleable especially among the middle and upper class because of its brownish color.

“Ang mga tawo mangita gyud ug puti nga rice. Kay ang NFA rice naa na man ni sagul nga iron as required under the law,” said Rosales. (Consumers would prefer white rice.)

NFA’s rice fortification program is seen as a solution to lower the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia in the country. The program is focused on sectors susceptible to iron deficiency anemia such as pregnant woman, nursing mothers, and young children.

The Department of Health and Department of Agriculture are jointly implementing the program through the National Nutrition Council and the NFA.

The implementation of I-Rice program is in compliance with Republic Act (RA) 8976 that calls for the mandatory fortification of staples such as rice, flour, cooking oil and refined sugar.

– (FREEMAN)