NFA fulfilled President Arroyo’s SONA commitments — Yap

National Food Authority Administrator Arthur C. Yap said his agency has fully measured up to the commitments made by President Arroyo in her last state of the nation address (SONA) especially in terms of ensuring food security for the country in support to the making of a strong republic for the Filipinos.

"The NFA has always maintained a safe stock inventory level of our main staple, rice. This year, for instance, we have prepared way ahead of the lean months of July to September by stockpilling a buffer stock averaging 726,883 metric tons over the first six months, equivalent to 27 days national consumption requirement or 12 days more than the mandatory 15-day food security stock level," Yap said.

As of June 30, the country’s total rice inventory, including household and commercial stocks, was placed at 2,031,600 metric tons, good to last for 77 days.

"Our relatively high rice inventory level has made our calamity response mechanisms very effective during the onset of the lean months. By strategically positioning our stocks in typhoon-prone and traditionally deficit areas, we have effectively averted any supply shortage or price manipulation of our basic staple in the calamity-affected areas," Yap said.

Within 48 hours after typhoons Chedeng, Egay and Harurot hit the country, the NFA ensured that rice supply and prices in the affected areas were stable. In close coordination with the National Disaster Coordinating Council, the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and concerned local government units (LGUs), the NFA distributed some 5,504 bags of rice to the typhoon victims.

Yap said following the President’s commitment to ensure the continuous availability of low-priced basic commodities to the poor communities across the country, the NFA has developed programs that would focus government’s limited resources to where they are most needed.

"To better and more permanently serve the target beneficiaries of our rolling stores, we have started converting these mobile outlets into stationary barangay stores. As of June 30, we have already set up 513 stationary barangay stores called Tindahan ni Gloria Labandera sa Barangay (TGLB) and 1,686 Bigasan ni Gloria sa Palengke (BGP) even as we continue to operate some 490 rolling stores," Yap said. The NFA also operates Tindahan ni Gloria Labandera sa Bangka to reach out to poor coastal barangays in Hagonoy, Bulacan and Pampanga, he added.

Yap also informed that as of end of June, the NFA has accredited 2,823 outlets under its Targeted Rice Distribution Program (TRDP) serving some 241,342 poor family-beneficiaries. Under the NFA’s Coconut Farmers Food Access Program (CFFAP), some 15,278 metric tons of rice were availed of by a total of 210,629 family-beneficiaries.