Nakakubra ang National Food Authority (NFA) ng P66 milyon bilang insurance proceeds mula sa Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) kaugnay ng 58,000 sako ng NFA rice na na-damage habang sakay ng barko mula Maynila patungo sa Albay.
Ang bigas ay gagamitin sana sa relief operation ng NFA sa Bicol na tinamaan ng bagyong Milenyo at Reming noong huling bahagi ng 2006, ngunit na-damage ito dahil sa malakas na alon ng dagat.
Personal na tinanggap ni Atty. Jose Cordero, regional director ng NFA National Capital Region (NCR), ang tseke para sa P66 milyon mula kay Robert Ibasco, accounts manager ng General Insurance Group ng GSIS.
Ang turnover ay ginawa sa Oct. 12 episode ng GSIS Members’ Hour TV program na ipinalabas sa NBN-4.
“This is a big help to the NFA. I encourage other agencies to insure their properties with the GSIS,” wika ni Cordero. “Bicol was in dire need of supply of rice at the time because of the typhoons and it just so happened that there was an excess supply of rice in the NCR at the time.”
“It was also cheaper to transport rice via sea so we hired MV Accord. But three days after it sailed off, the ship was hit by rough seas, causing water to enter the vessel that damaged the bags of rice.”
Pinasalamatan ni Cordero ang GSIS dahil sa mabilis na pagpoproseso nito ng claims ng NFA. Ang GSIS ang pangunahing nag-e-insure ng mga pag-aari ng pamahalaan.