Capitol to support NFA’s “Program 29” if…

CEBU, Philippines — As long as it can be sustained, the Cebu Provincial Government affirmed to support the National Food Authority Region 7’s “Program 29”.

This after NFA-7 officer-in-charge regional manager Ovelito Baritua asked the Capitol for help to handle their agency’s new program that eyes to sell NFA rice buffer stocks for only ?29 per kilo.

“Diri sa Cebu, it was agreed nga ang province maoy mo-handle, mo-take care sa programa,” said Baritua in a report by Sugbo News, Capitol’s official media arm.

As reported, individuals who belong to the vulnerable sector are the ones who can avail of the program’s offer. These include persons with disabilities, solo parents, senior citizens, as well as indigenous people.

According to Sugbo News, Governor Gwendolyn Garcia is willing to help NFA-7 as long as the program will be sustainable.

The program, if pushed through, will be integrated into the Capitol’s existing QR-coded card system which ensures smoother and more efficient operations.

Although Cebu is not the top producer of rice in country, Baritua assured the province that NFA-7 will coordinate with other top rice-producing regions to guarantee a secure supply for the program.

The Capitol has current programs that utilize NFA rice buffer stocks. These programs include Sugbo Merkadong Barato which claims to fulfill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s goal to sell NFA rice at ?25 per kilo.

Other programs of the province that make use of NFA’s rice include Bugasan sa Kababayen-an sa Barangay which offers rice at ?27 per kilo through the women’s group in the barangay, and the Sugbo School Feeding Program that gives one free meal a day to students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 under the Department of Education in the province. — (FREEMAN)