The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Thursday said rice from the National Food Authority (NFA) will be available at P36 per kilo to Metro Manila local governments and other major cities starting February.
According to GMA Integrated News’ Joseph Morong, the DA asked the Metro Manila Council—consisting of 17 mayors in the National Capital Region— to allow Kadiwa stores in public and private markets in their areas.
DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the department will start selling NFA rice to Metro Manila LGUs and other major cities at P36 per kilo in February and will lower it to P33 per kilo in March.
Asked if concerned local governments are allowed to give the NFA rice for free as aid or if they are required to sell them, Laurel said the DA has no policy on the matter.
“As of the moment, wala kaming policy that prevents (this). We will not come up with a policy that will dictate kung anong gagawin nila doon. Hindi lang nila puwede i-benta more than P38,” he said.
“(As of the moment, we don’t have a policy that prevents this. We will not come up with a policy that will dictate what they will do with the NFA rice. But they can’t sell it for more than P38.)
Laurel pointed out the distribution of the NFA rice is not political.
“Meron kaming urgent mission to free up our warehouses. There is nothing political about this. This is something that we need to do as DA,” he said.
(We have an urgent mission to free up our warehouses. There is nothing political about this. This is something that we need to do as DA.)
Metro Manila Council president and San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora said gave an assurance that NCR mayors will not politicize the distribution of the NFA rice.
“Yung sinasabing baka ma-politicize siya, I don’t think any of the mayors in Metro Manila will do that because maayos naman po lahat ng mayors ng Metro Manila,” Zamora said.
(On concerns that it might be politicized, I don’t think any of the mayors in Metro Manila will do that because all the mayors of Metro Manila are good.)
“So far, wala naman kayong nababalitaang ginagawa ng kahit sinong mayor ng Metro Manila na hindi dapat gawin,” he added.
(So far, you have not heard of any Metro Manila mayor doing anything that shouldn’t be done.)
—RF, GMA Integrated News
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