House urged to probe ‘inedible' rice distributed to public school teachers
MANILA, Philippines — Makabayan lawmakers are calling on the House to investigate complaints by teachers who claim to have received rice unsuitable for human consumption for their one-time rice allowance.
This is after the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) on Thursday said it has gathered complaints from teachers from Nueva Ecija, Mindoro and Bacolod City who were given rice that was "no longer edible” and appeared rotten or infested with bugs.
Rep. France Castro (ACT Teachers), who led the filing of House Resolution 1082, scored the government for the health risks posed by the “inedible grains” and their delayed release – a “clear violation of the government’s obligations to its employees, particularly those in the education sector.”
Signed by the president in 2022, Administrative Order No. 2, s. 2022 entitles all government employees – including public school teachers — to a one-time 25 kilos rice allowance from the national government.
The administrative order also states that it is the NFA, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, that is in charge of the distribution of the rice assistance.
The rice allowance has not been distributed in most regions, which should have been done last year, Castro said.
“Not only is the distribution of the rice allowance extremely late, but its quality is also almost rotting and not edible. This is insulting to our teachers,” Castro said in Filipino.
The House resolution also included alleged reports of teachers being made to sign acknowledgment receipts certifying that they received their one-time rice allowance even if they have not done so.
“The Department of Education, National Food Authority, and all responsible offices are fully aware of the health risks attributed to the consumption of spoiled rice such as food poisoning, and therefore must have been aware that their distribution of compromised supplies to teachers endangers the latter,” the resolution read.
Rep. France Castro (ACT Teachers Partylist) has called for a probe on"inedible rice" reportedly given to public school teachers for their rice allowance. Castro said they received complaints from teachers in Nueva Ecija, Mindoro, Bacolod, & Zamboanga del Norte. @PhilstarNews pic.twitter.com/C6438hoCKi
— Cristina Chi ???? (@chicristina_) June 6, 2023
NFA: Rice is edible
In a statement, the National Food Authority (NFA) in Region 3 said that it did not receive "negative feedback" on the quality of NFA rice distributed "in interviews so far conducted."
The body said it had secured a "certification" from teacher-beneficiaries attesting to the "good quality" of the NFA rice stocks distributed.
"As of this date, all rice issued were found to be edible, in good condition and safe for human consumption," the NFA said. No complaints were also formally lodged with the body, it said.
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