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                    [ArticleID] => 378354
                    [Title] => Velasco is new PRA head; NFA chief resigns
                    [Summary] => 

President Arroyo has appointed former National Bureau of Investigation chief Epimaco Velasco to the board of directors of the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA).


Meanwhile, National Food Authority (NFA) Administrator Gregorio Tan Jr. has resigned from his post reportedly because of health reasons, as he also plans to devote more time to taking care of his aging mother.


Tan’s resignation was filed "as early as November" and took effect last Dec. 31, according to NFA spokesman Rex Estoperez.


                    [DatePublished] => 2007-01-05 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
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                    [SectionName] => Headlines
                    [SectionUrl] => headlines
                    [URL] => 
                )

            [1] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 355219
                    [Title] => Asean countries push for extension of rice reserve plan
                    [Summary] => Member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are pushing for the extension of the East Asia Emergency Rice Reserve (EAERR) program until 2008.


At the ongoing Special Senior Officials’ Meeting (SSOM) of the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Fishery (AMAF) in Bohol, senior ministers agreed to submit a proposal to extend the EAERR to the AMAF meeting in Singapore this November.


                    [DatePublished] => 2006-08-29 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
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                    [SectionName] => Business
                    [SectionUrl] => business
                    [URL] => 
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                (
                    [ArticleID] => 347087
                    [Title] => Farmer groups buck lifting of QR on rice imports
                    [Summary] => Farmer-based organizations are opposing government’s plan to temporarily lift quantitative restrictions (QR) on rice imports during lean months.


 As this developed, National Food Authority (NFA) Administrator Gregorio Tan Jr. said it may not be profitable for the private sector to go into rice import trading because of the current high prices of rice in the world market.


                    [DatePublished] => 2006-07-13 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1704647
                    [AuthorName] => Rocel Felix
                    [SectionName] => Business
                    [SectionUrl] => business
                    [URL] => 
                )

            [3] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 340188
                    [Title] => DA to stop hybrid palay seed subsidy after 2007
                    [Summary] => The Department of Agriculture (DA) will push through with plans to eliminate its hybrid rice seed subsidy program by 2007.


"The hybrid rice seed subsidy program will no longer be extended when it expires by end 2007, the government will completely disengage itself from the program and it will be the private sector which will have full control of distributing hybrid rice seeds to farmers," said National Food Authority (NFA) Administrator Gregorio Tan Jr.


                    [DatePublished] => 2006-06-05 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1704647
                    [AuthorName] => Rocel Felix
                    [SectionName] => Business
                    [SectionUrl] => business
                    [URL] => 
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            [4] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 332669
                    [Title] => NFA implements rice exchange program
                    [Summary] => The National Food Authority (NFA) is implementing a scheme to ensure steady supply of rice during the lean season in the third quarter. 


NFA Administrator Gregorio Tan Jr. said the agency’s Rice Exchange Program for the Private Sector  (REPPS) is aimed at making use of locally available well-milled rice   stocks for rice distribution and help the private sector in marketing their stocks. 


                    [DatePublished] => 2006-04-22 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1704647
                    [AuthorName] => Rocel Felix
                    [SectionName] => Business
                    [SectionUrl] => business
                    [URL] => 
                )

            [5] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 324088
                    [Title] => Gov’t to save on rice imports with a strong peso
                    [Summary] => The strong peso is helping the government save dollars on its rice importations even as rice prices in the global market are increasing.


"The strengthening of  the peso means lower cost for our rice importations and should the situation prevail, it will ease the burden of government to be shelling out more foreign currency for its rice purchases. This is a positive factor for us especially if world market prices of rice continues its steady rise," said National Food Authority (NFA) Administrator Gregorio Tan Jr. 


                    [DatePublished] => 2006-03-03 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1704647
                    [AuthorName] => Rocel Felix
                    [SectionName] => Business
                    [SectionUrl] => business
                    [URL] => 
                )

            [6] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 317520
                    [Title] => NFA wants private sector to take over rice importation
                    [Summary] => The debt-ridden National Food Authority (NFA)  is encouraging the private sector to increase its participation and eventually take over the government’s function of importing rice to bridge the country’s supply shortfall.


"We have in recent years, been asking the private sector to actively participate in our rice import program to ease the burden on NFA  which has had to increasingly rely on bringing in the commodity to ensure stable supply and prices of rice," said NFA Administrator Gregorio Tan Jr.


                    [DatePublished] => 2006-01-20 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1704647
                    [AuthorName] => Rocel Felix
                    [SectionName] => Business
                    [SectionUrl] => business
                    [URL] => 
                )

            [7] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 316392
                    [Title] => NFA sets bid for add’l rice imports
                    [Summary] => The state-run National Food Authority (NFA) will conduct a public bidding next month for additional rice importations of  400,000 metric tons (MT) to beef up the country’s reserve stocks.


"The volume will augment the 488,000 metric tons that will be coming in tranches in the first quarter," said NFA Administrator Gregorio Tan Jr.


                    [DatePublished] => 2006-01-13 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1704647
                    [AuthorName] => Rocel Felix
                    [SectionName] => Business
                    [SectionUrl] => business
                    [URL] => 
                )

            [8] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 315293
                    [Title] => GMA opens Tindahang Pinoy in Payatas
                    [Summary] => President Arroyo opened yesterday the Tindahang Pinoy (TP) in Barangay Payatas, Quezon City, part of a chain of convenience stores that would sell subsidized rice and noodles to poor barangays.


The President said she identified only the poorest areas to benefit from the low cost rice and noodles because a general subsidy would not be an effective way to give relief to the people despite the rising cost in prices of basic commodities.


                    [DatePublished] => 2006-01-06 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1804901
                    [AuthorName] => Aurea Calica
                    [SectionName] => Metro
                    [SectionUrl] => metro
                    [URL] => 
                )

            [9] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 314694
                    [Title] => 1st tranche of NFA rice imports to arrive soon
                    [Summary] => The state-run National Food Authority (NFA) will be bringing in the first tranche of the initial 488,000 metric tons (MT) of imported rice the country will be buying for 2006.


NFA Administrator Gregorio Tan Jr. said that by the end of January, an initial volume of 87,500 MT will be unloaded in Manila, the next 175,000 MT will come in by February while the balance of 87,5000 MT should be in by March. Most of the volume will be coming from Vietnam. 


                    [DatePublished] => 2006-01-02 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1704647
                    [AuthorName] => Rocel Felix
                    [SectionName] => Business
                    [SectionUrl] => business
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                )

        )

)

ADMINISTRATOR GREGORIO TAN JR.

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                    [ArticleID] => 378354
                    [Title] => Velasco is new PRA head; NFA chief resigns
                    [Summary] => 

President Arroyo has appointed former National Bureau of Investigation chief Epimaco Velasco to the board of directors of the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA).


Meanwhile, National Food Authority (NFA) Administrator Gregorio Tan Jr. has resigned from his post reportedly because of health reasons, as he also plans to devote more time to taking care of his aging mother.


Tan’s resignation was filed "as early as November" and took effect last Dec. 31, according to NFA spokesman Rex Estoperez.


                    [DatePublished] => 2007-01-05 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
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                    [ArticleID] => 355219
                    [Title] => Asean countries push for extension of rice reserve plan
                    [Summary] => Member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are pushing for the extension of the East Asia Emergency Rice Reserve (EAERR) program until 2008.


At the ongoing Special Senior Officials’ Meeting (SSOM) of the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Fishery (AMAF) in Bohol, senior ministers agreed to submit a proposal to extend the EAERR to the AMAF meeting in Singapore this November.


                    [DatePublished] => 2006-08-29 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
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                (
                    [ArticleID] => 347087
                    [Title] => Farmer groups buck lifting of QR on rice imports
                    [Summary] => Farmer-based organizations are opposing government’s plan to temporarily lift quantitative restrictions (QR) on rice imports during lean months.


 As this developed, National Food Authority (NFA) Administrator Gregorio Tan Jr. said it may not be profitable for the private sector to go into rice import trading because of the current high prices of rice in the world market.


                    [DatePublished] => 2006-07-13 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1704647
                    [AuthorName] => Rocel Felix
                    [SectionName] => Business
                    [SectionUrl] => business
                    [URL] => 
                )

            [3] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 340188
                    [Title] => DA to stop hybrid palay seed subsidy after 2007
                    [Summary] => The Department of Agriculture (DA) will push through with plans to eliminate its hybrid rice seed subsidy program by 2007.


"The hybrid rice seed subsidy program will no longer be extended when it expires by end 2007, the government will completely disengage itself from the program and it will be the private sector which will have full control of distributing hybrid rice seeds to farmers," said National Food Authority (NFA) Administrator Gregorio Tan Jr.


                    [DatePublished] => 2006-06-05 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1704647
                    [AuthorName] => Rocel Felix
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                    [SectionUrl] => business
                    [URL] => 
                )

            [4] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 332669
                    [Title] => NFA implements rice exchange program
                    [Summary] => The National Food Authority (NFA) is implementing a scheme to ensure steady supply of rice during the lean season in the third quarter. 


NFA Administrator Gregorio Tan Jr. said the agency’s Rice Exchange Program for the Private Sector  (REPPS) is aimed at making use of locally available well-milled rice   stocks for rice distribution and help the private sector in marketing their stocks. 


                    [DatePublished] => 2006-04-22 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1704647
                    [AuthorName] => Rocel Felix
                    [SectionName] => Business
                    [SectionUrl] => business
                    [URL] => 
                )

            [5] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 324088
                    [Title] => Gov’t to save on rice imports with a strong peso
                    [Summary] => The strong peso is helping the government save dollars on its rice importations even as rice prices in the global market are increasing.


"The strengthening of  the peso means lower cost for our rice importations and should the situation prevail, it will ease the burden of government to be shelling out more foreign currency for its rice purchases. This is a positive factor for us especially if world market prices of rice continues its steady rise," said National Food Authority (NFA) Administrator Gregorio Tan Jr. 


                    [DatePublished] => 2006-03-03 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1704647
                    [AuthorName] => Rocel Felix
                    [SectionName] => Business
                    [SectionUrl] => business
                    [URL] => 
                )

            [6] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 317520
                    [Title] => NFA wants private sector to take over rice importation
                    [Summary] => The debt-ridden National Food Authority (NFA)  is encouraging the private sector to increase its participation and eventually take over the government’s function of importing rice to bridge the country’s supply shortfall.


"We have in recent years, been asking the private sector to actively participate in our rice import program to ease the burden on NFA  which has had to increasingly rely on bringing in the commodity to ensure stable supply and prices of rice," said NFA Administrator Gregorio Tan Jr.


                    [DatePublished] => 2006-01-20 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1704647
                    [AuthorName] => Rocel Felix
                    [SectionName] => Business
                    [SectionUrl] => business
                    [URL] => 
                )

            [7] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 316392
                    [Title] => NFA sets bid for add’l rice imports
                    [Summary] => The state-run National Food Authority (NFA) will conduct a public bidding next month for additional rice importations of  400,000 metric tons (MT) to beef up the country’s reserve stocks.


"The volume will augment the 488,000 metric tons that will be coming in tranches in the first quarter," said NFA Administrator Gregorio Tan Jr.


                    [DatePublished] => 2006-01-13 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1704647
                    [AuthorName] => Rocel Felix
                    [SectionName] => Business
                    [SectionUrl] => business
                    [URL] => 
                )

            [8] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 315293
                    [Title] => GMA opens Tindahang Pinoy in Payatas
                    [Summary] => President Arroyo opened yesterday the Tindahang Pinoy (TP) in Barangay Payatas, Quezon City, part of a chain of convenience stores that would sell subsidized rice and noodles to poor barangays.


The President said she identified only the poorest areas to benefit from the low cost rice and noodles because a general subsidy would not be an effective way to give relief to the people despite the rising cost in prices of basic commodities.


                    [DatePublished] => 2006-01-06 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1804901
                    [AuthorName] => Aurea Calica
                    [SectionName] => Metro
                    [SectionUrl] => metro
                    [URL] => 
                )

            [9] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 314694
                    [Title] => 1st tranche of NFA rice imports to arrive soon
                    [Summary] => The state-run National Food Authority (NFA) will be bringing in the first tranche of the initial 488,000 metric tons (MT) of imported rice the country will be buying for 2006.


NFA Administrator Gregorio Tan Jr. said that by the end of January, an initial volume of 87,500 MT will be unloaded in Manila, the next 175,000 MT will come in by February while the balance of 87,5000 MT should be in by March. Most of the volume will be coming from Vietnam. 


                    [DatePublished] => 2006-01-02 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1704647
                    [AuthorName] => Rocel Felix
                    [SectionName] => Business
                    [SectionUrl] => business
                    [URL] => 
                )

        )

)

abtest