MARAWI CITY — The National Food Authority (NFA) here announced that Lanao del Sur and Marawi City are not experiencing shortage of rice, with the average price hovering around P27 to P32 per kilo or about P1,250 to P1,500 per sack.
Khayamera Dialem, Administrative Officer of NFA-Lanao del Sur Provincial Office based in Marawi City, said Monday their storage as of August 24 has 10,000 bags that can cater to Marawi City and the whole province of Lanao del Sur. By next month, September, another 10,000 bags will arrive as addition to its buffer stocks, he added.
Even during the Marawi siege, Dialem said they did not run out of supplies because of the relief supplies from the different local and international non-government organizations that helped the displaced residents during the five-month war in last year.
“Tuloy-tuloy naman ang releases natin at priority natin ang DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development), ang LGU (local government unit) at mga rice retailers natin,” Dialem said. (We have a continuous release of rice supply as our priority is for DSWD and Marawi LGU, including rice retailers).
Lanao del Sur and Marawi City have buffer stock consumption of 9,000 bags a day but this will not be consumed because of the relief distribution. The agency, however, continues to monitor its 40 accredited NFA outlets in Marawi City to make sure no one is hoarding rice supplies.
“So far wala pa tayo’ng na-monitor na may hoarding pero hindi naman tayo huminto, (so far we have not monitored any hoarding but we are keeping an eye on this),” Dialem added.
After the armed conflict in Marawi City ended, NFA’s biggest outlet within the former main battleground was divided into smaller outlets located in different market areas in the city and the nearby Lanao del Sur towns of Marantao and Saguiaran. (Divina Suson/PNA)
