LINGAYEN, Pangasinan — The National Food Authority (NFA), with the cooperation of the Grains Retailers Confederation of the Philippines (GRECON), has opened eight “Bigas Tulong sa Bayan” outlets in the province to supply the market with alternative affordable commercial rice.
Lita Catabay, NFA Western Pangasinan senior enforcement and inspection officer, on Thursday said this move was initiated by the agency while waiting for the imported rice to arrive in the country by end of this month.
Catabay, at the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkasters sa Pilipinas-Pangasinan chapter forum, said commercial rice is sold at PHP39 per kilogram in the outlets located in Alaminos City, Sual, Lingayen, Dagupan City, Mangaldan, Calasiao, Bayambang and Mangatarem.
She said customers are allowed to buy maximum of three to five kilograms per person per day depending on the demand in that particular area.
She added that there was no more rice stocks in NFA Western Pangasinan’s warehouses and commercial rice’s price ranges from PHP38 to PHP40 for wholesale and PHP40 to PHP44 for well-milled rice.
Catabay, however, said that there is enough supply of commercial rice in Western Pangasinan’s market, thus no need for the public to be alarmed.
“A total of 271, 594 bags of commercial rice stocks and 709,778 household rice stocks that are good for 75 days,” Catabay said.
“Our concern is in times of calamity, wherein we cannot provide relief goods to be distributed by government agencies if there will still be no stock in the NFA, so we hope there would be no calamities while we are waiting.” (PNA)
