MANILA — Rice millers in central Luzon, the country’s rice granary, have delivered some 5,000 sacks of rice to the National Food Authority (NFA) warehouse in Quezon City Monday morning, making good their promise to President Rodrigo R. Duterte in ensuring affordable commercial rice in Metro Manila.
About 10 trailer trucks with 500 sacks of rice per unit have been delivered by the Nueva Ecija Rice Millers Association (NERMA). These sacks of rice will be up for distribution to accredited retailers and about five other trucks will be delivered directly to selected markets.
Rice millers and traders have committed to continue helping the government ensure the presence of affordable rice in the market as the NFA replenishes rice buffer stocks.
Amelito Coronel, the president of NERMA, said that they will supplement the lack of affordable commercial rice for the entire Metro Manila, along with rice millers from Bulacan and Isabela.
The rice, which is original priced at PHP42, will sell for only PHP39 per kilogram.
“It’s (actually a) loss for us but we have to sacrifice so that we can help the residents in Metro Manila,” Coronel said in an interview with reporters.
Several pilot “service outlets” will start selling the low-priced commercial rice in Baclaran and Quezon City markets.
In Quezon City, service outlets will open in Commonwealth, Litex, Silangan, Payatas, and Tondo Talipapa. All other markets in the National Capital Region will sell the same variety and price of rice starting April 18.
Duterte met with rice traders early this month to discuss the reported low buffer stock of NFA. (Jomari Castigador-OJT/PNA)
