PANTABANGAN, Nueva Ecija — Indigenous peoples (IPs) living in remote barangays here now have easy access to cheap rice from the National Food Authority (NFA).
The NFA launched Tuesday the first “Tagpuan – Rice Response Delivery” program in the province in an effort to directly sell the cheap rice to the intended beneficiaries.
NFA-Nueva Ecija, headed by Genoveva V. Villar, launched the program at the rice outlet owned by Eduardo Viernes Jr. in Barangay Cadaclan in this municipality in the presence of NFA Regional Director Rex C. Estoperez and Pantabangan municipal agriculturist Karen R. Salera.
“The NFA rice will be sold at PHP27 per kg. directly to tribal groups living in far-flung and remote barangays, through an accredited rice retail outlet near the area at an appointed day and time in a week,” Villar said.
She said more than 30 Aeta families from barangays Villarica and Napon-Napon, who are beneficiaries of the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), descend from the mountain and walk for one hour just to obtain rice and other food items from the grocery store of Viernes through credit.
The IPs pay for their purchases upon the release of their 4Ps cash grants by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, she added. (Marilyn Galang/PNA)
