PB wants NFA officials to explain rice shortage

OFFICIALS from the National Food Authority in Central Visayas (NFA-7) will be invited to attend the Provincial Board’s session this Monday, March 12, to shed light on the shortage of government-subsidized rice in Cebu.

Cebu Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale, who sits as the PB’s presiding chairperson, said this is important to once and for all give Cebuanos the exact reason/s why there is a shortage.

“Our Halad ni Lolo ug ni Lola naundang atung February 19 tungod kay wala na tay NFA rice (was stopped because there’s no more NFA rice). This Monday, we’re inviting the NFA-7 to our session,” said Magpale during yesterday’s press briefing at the Capitol Compound.

Meanwhile, Provincial General Services Officer (PGSO) Jone Sepe said the provincial government has started purchasing commercial rice since last February when their buffer stock of NFA rice intended for the Provincial Women’s Commission (PWC), Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO), and the Office of the Vice Governor finally ran out.

In a text message sent to Cebu Daily News, Sepe said they ordered 1,080 sacks of commercial rice in the last week of February which is expected to last until March 11.

“That’s four PRS (purchase request slip) amounting to almost P700,000 each. Then there’s already a bidding schedule for 2,730 sacks of rice amounting to P6.2 million pesos. It will be opened this April 4,” he added.

The 2,730 sacks, Sepe stated, will last for three months or until June wherein supply of NFA rice is expected to return to normal and they can start requesting once again for the government-subsidized staple.

“June pa daw mobalik NFA supply nato (We were told that our NFA supply will only return this June),” said Sepe.

On the other hand, officials of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) revealed that they have started purchasing commercial rice since February 13.

CPDRC Acting Jail Warden Roberto Legaspi said via phone that the supply of NFA rice they borrowed from the Office of the Vice Governor last February 8 was fully consumed four days later.

“There’s no more NFA-reserved rice in CPDRC so we opted to buy commercial ones,” said Legaspi.

The 3,728 inmates housed in the provincial jail at Brgy. Kalunasan, Cebu City, consume an average of 30 sacks or 1,670 kilograms of the staple per day. However, Legaspi, in an earlier interview, assured that the meal ration for each prisoner will not be affected despite the shortage of NFA rice.
For 2018, the CPDRC has a food allocation of P78.8 million.