BACOLOD CITY — A total of 22 branches of two supermarkets and a convenience store in Negros Occidental will soon sell the PHP27 per kilogram rice from the National Food Authority (NFA).
NFA-Negros Occidental provincial manager Frisco Canoy said these stores are included on the list of supermarkets and other commercial establishments covered by the memorandum of agreement.
Last September 19, the NFA, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and the Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association (PAGASA) signed an agreement that will allow participating supermarkets to obtain NFA rice retailing license and sell the commodity within the mandated consumer price.
To get a license as retailers, supermarkets have to comply with the requirements like rice bag and price tag, among others.
Under the agreement, consumers may buy up to two packs or four kilograms of NFA rice in participating establishments.
“The project may expand to other supermarkets provided there is an agreement with the NFA and DTI,” Canoy said.
As of Friday, listed as participating branches are Prince Warehouse Club Inc. with seven branches in the cities of Bago, Himamaylan, La Carlota, Sagay, Silay and Talisay, and Hinigaran town; KJ Fairmart, which operates a Bayanihan Grocery with two branches along Burgos Market and Barangay Sum-ag in Bacolod; and the 13 branches of Munsterific, a home-grown convenience store in Bacolod.
“These supermarkets will soon become our additional NFA rice outlets,” said Canoy, who met with representatives of the identified establishments on Friday to discuss with various concerns, including the requirements.
He added that the selling will probably start in the next two weeks, depending on the compliance of the establishments. (Erwin Nicavera/PNA)
