Caloocan asks NFA to deploy more rolling stores

Caloocan City Mayor Enrico Echiverri is appealing to the National Food Authority (NFA) to deploy more rolling stores in the city.

Echiverri issued the appeal because at least 144,000 families, identified to be belonging to the poorest of the poor, are set to receive their access cards next week. The cards will allow them to buy NFA rice from the rolling stores.

He said he is very grateful for the support of the NFA in supplying and making available to residents the government-subsidized rice but feels that there is still a need for additional rolling stores and Tindahan Natin outlets in depressed areas of the city.

Echiverri said the additional distribution centers would give identified beneficiary-families easier access to the NFA rice, which are sold at P18.25 a kilo.

Echiverri said based on recent data provided by the NFA, 124 Tindahan Natin and nine Bigasan ng Parokya outlets are distributed in almost all of the city’s 188 barangays.

An average of at least eight NFA rolling stores regularly make their daily rounds and sell rice to residents.

“We hope that every recipient of the access card would get them the allotted two kilos a day of the staple food,” Echiverri said.

Meanwhile, the 144,000 families assessed to be earning less than P4,900 a month were initially classified by the Caloocan Social Welfare Department through their barangay officials.

Beth Ayudan, a local social welfare officer said the tamper-proof family access cards with corresponding bar codes will be given to the pre-qualified beneficiaries for free. – Jerry Botial