CEBU, Philippines - In its continuing effort to promote National Food Authority rice, the Grain Retailers Confederation of the Philippines-Cebu has rounded up the barangays of Talisay City just to bring the cheap rice to the public.
“Sukad nga gisugdan ni nato, dili na mominus sa 200 ka-bag nga NFA rice ang mabaligya nato sa mga tawo kada semana. Wala pa na’y labot sa mga 100 ka-bag nga gibaligya sa rolling store,” said Semy Cabuenas, chairman of Grecon-Cebu, an organization of NFA-accredited rice retailers.
Cabuenas said NFA rolling stores are deployed on weekends to areas where there are “small tiangges” and stop for hours to sell the rice for P27 and P32 per kilo. The P27 per kilo is 25 percent broken rice while the P32 per kilo has only 15 percent.
Cabuenas said they also go to areas as requested. This Sunday, the NFA rolling store will be in Barangays Tangke and Poblacion.
The Grecon chairman said they will continue to do it until the public becomes aware of the availability of cheap yet quality rice in public markets, contrary to reports that retailers are hoarding these to be sold to commercial rice retailers then mixed with commercial rice to be later sold at a costly price, which is P40 and up.
Meanwhile, Cabuenas advised the public that each individual is only allowed to buy a maximum of five kilos to give others a chance to also avail of the cheap rice.
”Dili lang sila mabalaka kay og mahurot na ilang gipalit, naa pa may daghang stock sa Tabunok (public market), pwede ra silang moadto,” he said.
The Grecon official also warned unscrupulous individuals, who allegedly buy the rice in large quantity to sell it to a higher price, to be aware as NFA personnel are closely monitoring the sales and they may be apprehended.
“Gipahigtan na gyud na nga kato ra’ng mga pobre intawon nga dili kapalit og mahal nga bugas ang baligyaan nato sa NFA rice. Para man gyud ni nila. Busa kadtong mga mapahimuslanon, gibantayan na mo,” Cabuenas said. — (FREEMAN)