AFTER a four-day delay, the vesssel carrying the first batch of rice imported by the National Food Authority (NFA) from Vietnam finally docked at the Cebu International Port on Thursday afternoon.
Half an hour past 12 noon, NFA-7 personnel inspected the 10,000 metric tons or 200,000 sacks of rice on board MV Vina Gold.
The vessel arrived in Cebu last Sunday but was not allowed to dock at the CIP pending the accomplishment of some clearances from the Bureau of Customs (BOC).
Olma Marie Bayno, NFA-7 Information Officer, earlier clarified that securing permits and clearances from BOC is part of the suppliers obligations.
Bayno said that the representative of the supplier secured the discharge permit on Thursday morning.
She said the unloading of the goods will immediately follow today, Friday, if the weather will allow.
Unloading will take at most 15 days, Bayno said.
The second batch of imported rice also arrived in Cebu at dawn on Thursday. The supplier is now securing a separate set of clearances in order to be allowed to dock at the CIP and unload its cargo.
The second vessel contains 7,000 metric tons or 140,000 sacks of rice also from Vietnam.
A total of 25,000 metric tons of rice allocated for Central Visayas was approved for importation by the NFA council on February.
The remaining 8,000 metric tons for Central Visayas will come from Thailand but no communication has been given yet as to the estimated date of arrival, Bayno said.
Although retailing is the least priority in allocating the NFA rice supply, Bayno assured that a portion will be dedicated to their accredited retailers.
Government agencies mandated to do relief and emergency operations like the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices (DRRMOs) and the social welfare projects of LGUs top the priority list, Bayno said.
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