NFA , LGUs and relief agencies needs closer coordination speed up assistance to typhoon victims

National Food Authority administrator Angelito T. Banayo calls for closer coordination with local government units and other government relief agencies to speed up rice issuance and giving assistance to victims of typhoon Pedring.

Banayo also tasked the field offices to monitor closely the price of staple in the market to prevent any unwarranted increase in the price of the staple even as he informed the NFA has sufficient food security rice stocks to meet any upsurge in demand for rice.

With a present high food security inventory, Banayo is confident it can meet rice demand of LGUs and government relief agencies in areas heavily affected by flood and where a lot of residents are housed in relocation centers.

According to Banayo, the NFA has todate issued a total of 10,425 bags of rice to local government units and relief agencies giving assistance to typhoon victims. The bulk of initial rice for relief assistance totaling 7,575 bags issued mostly to the provinces of Region 5. The Bicol region was also heavily battered last month by typhoon Juaning.

For Albay which was still reeling from the effects of earlier typhoon, the NFA has issued a total of 6,565 bags of rice through the Department of Social Welfare and Development. Another 500 bags of rice each were also respectively issued for Camarines Norte and Catanduanes also through the DSWD. Meanwhile 10 bags were issued to Camarines Sur through the province’s Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

He also cited that in Region 3, the NFA has issued 900 bags to the Office of the Governor for distribution to the flood affected towns of Hagonoy, Paombong and San Rafael.

Also in Region 3, the local government of San Manuel in Tarlac and Pilar in Bataan has also availed of 50 bags each for distribution to the victims of typhoon Pedring in their respective municipalities.

For Region 2, meanwhile, a total of 550 bags of rice were issued to the local government of Isabela and 300 bags for Cagayan. Initial damage to stocks and infrastructures were also placed at P5 million.

Banayo has also authorized the NFA Central district in the National Capital Region to issue 50 bags of Iron Fortified Rice to the city of Manila.

Rice requests for relief operations were either paid in cash or credit under a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the local government units and other government agencies doing relief assistance.

The NCR also reported damage to some 1,700 bags of rice at the North District Office’s MFC Warehouse No 5 in Malanday,Valenzuela and at Kingswood warehouse in Caloocan. To prevent further damage to stocks, these were transferred to adjacent warehouses.

The NFA chief instructed the field and central office operation centers to maintain a 24-hour operation to keep posted on developments and receive requests for relief assistance. This will ensure smooth coordination between NFA warehouses and the agencies withdrawing rice. Director Rex C. Estoperez, Public Affairs Department, NATIONAL FOOD AUTHORITY