Council pursues additional rice supply for the city

May 3, 2020 Metro BLISTT

The legislative body, during its regular session on April 27 reiterated the need to acquire adequate supply of rice for the City of Baguio amid the COVID-19 crisis after its first request to the National Food Authority (NFA) did not yield positive results.
The policymakers passed a resolution appealing to the NFA-Benguet Provincial Office (Region I) to increase the rice allocation for the City of Baguio to assure that the needs of its constituents are met during the ongoing community quarantine.
The council earlier requested the agency to allow the different barangays of the city to purchase rice based on the needs of their residents.
Responding to the said request, NFA-Benguet Provincial Manager Cecilia Concubierta said in her letter that stocks acquired from the different sources of rice are limited; therefore, the agency can no longer cater to the barangays.
Concubierta disclosed that their office catered to 26 barangays in the city delivering a total of 760 sacks in addition to the 3,760 sacks previously purchased by the local government since March 18.
In the earlier request, the city council noted Republic Act No. 11203 (An Act Liberalizing the Importation, Exportation and Trading of rice, Lifting for the Purpose the Quantitative Import Restriction on Rice, and for Other Purposes) which mandates the NFA “to maintain sufficient level of rice buffer stocks to be sourced locally, intended primarily for emergency, disaster, or calamity operations.”
While recognizing the NFA’s mandate on buffer stocking pursuant to the said law, Concubierta reasoned that selling of rice to the barangays was suspended since rice inventory had been low. She further explained that their office gives priority to the relief agencies such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the provincial governments, and municipalities.
According to Concubierta, “palay” inventories show there is sufficient amount of rice to be obtained in various provinces of Region I which is the source of rice stocks of Benguet.
However, problems in rice processing arose “due to the inability of the contracted private millers’ workers to report to work” in light of the travel ban on mass transport, stringent restrictions in checkpoints, and curfews, among others amidst the Luzon-wide community quarantine resulting in low rice production.
“It is our understanding that the rice purchased by the DSWD and the City Government of Baguio will also be distributed to the barangays,” the manager explained. “Nevertheless, we will allow their purchases once we accumulate sufficient stocks.”
According to the resolution, the city council understands the predicament of the said agency.
However, the resolution also states there is a need to acquire at least 8,000 sacks of rice per month in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, thus the appeal for the agency to consider the possibility of augmenting the quantity of rice allotted for the city subject to the availability of stocks at the NFA office.
A copy of the resolution will be transmitted to the concerned office for information and proper action.
Jordan G. Habbiling/ABN