Gov't wants food buffer stock on standby
MANILA, Philippines — Food supplies, including rice, are ordered moved closer to Metro Manila as the Department of Agriculture devises a "preemptive" move to ensure food sufficiency should the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) outbreak trigger supply disruptions.
After local authorities floated the idea of "localized" lockdowns to control COVID-19 spread, Agriculture Secretary William Dar told Philstar.com his order for a "food sufficiency action plan" is meant as a contingency measure if the situation worsens.
“Let’s plan proactively... food supply will always be one of those that needs to be properly managed,” Dar said in an interview.
Apart from rice, Agriculture Undesecretary Ariel Cayanan said "basic commodities" like fish, fruits and vegetables would likewise be "strategically pre-positioned" and be readied for deployment if and when needed.
The plan will initially cover Metro Manila, where 30 of the 33 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday were diagnosed, but can later on be duplicated elsewhere.
As far as rice is concerned, supplies from the National Food Authority (NFA) will be moved closer to the capital. The grains agency, which under the Rice Tariffication Law has taken the role of keeping buffer rice in times of need, operates 22 warehouses located in the capital and surrounding areas, specifically in Bulacan, Quezon City, Marikina and Cavite.
To date, the Philippines has "sufficient" rice inventory, held by NFA, commercial warehouses and households, good for 80 days, Dar said. On Tuesday, he also assured the public of sufficient food supply as the outbreak persists.
Earlier on Wednesday, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III told House lawmakers that a lockdown scenario is possible “if there’s proof of community-based transmission” — or when the country is experiencing larger outbreaks of local transmission — which he said is “going to be a very real occurrence over the very short term.”
Last Sunday, President Rodrigo Duterte declared a nationwide state of public health emergency after the country was placed under Code Red sublevel 1, which means there is anticipation of “possible sustained community transmission” of COVID-19.
When there is already a sustained community transmission, the response would be elevating the Code Alert System to Sublevel 2. Under this status, the DOH may impose localized lockdown in virus-hit areas.
As of Wednesday, the Department of Health reported 16 new cases of COVID-19 in the country, bringing the total number to 49.
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