NFA, OPA say no shortage of rice in Palawan

By Cheryl A. Galili

DESPITE COUNTLESS reports of rice shortage in the country, Palawan is not going to experience it because production remains high, according to top officials of the National Food Authority (NFA) in the province during the question and hour at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP).

Palawan NFA Manager Prudencio Tayco said the province has enough supply of rice kept in store in some municipalities. In Brooke’s Point, there are 4,500 sacks of rice and 25,000 sacks of palay; 3,800 sacks of rice and 17,000 sacks of palay in Narra and Puerto Princesa has 5,000 sacks of rice and 2,000 sacks for Coron.

Tayco said that aside from these, 50,000 sacks of rice are expected to be transported by two barges to Palawan from Batangas, where 30,000 sacks will be delivered to Puerto Princesa and 20,000 sacks to Panacan, Narra and Buligay, Brooke’s Point.

On Sunday, 250,000 bags will be sent to Coron, Tayco said, adding another number of bags will arrive from Batangas which is a yearly support of NFA to Palawan.

“In my personal assessment, we have enough supply of rice, commercial and otherwise in NFA,” he said.

Provincial Agriculturist Dr. Nelson Salvador confirmed this. He said that reports sent to him from the municipalities relate that production this year is high.

In one year, Palawan produces 129,868 metric tons of rice and a surplus of 41,868 or 837,360. “Our level of sufficiency is at 47% that’s why we don’t have a rice shortage,” Salvador said.

He also reported to the SP that Palawan was able to transport rice outside to other provinces and Manila. A Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) report informed that since January to December 2007, the province was able to transport 222,807 sacks of rice, equivalent to 11.140 metric tons and has a monthly average of 18,567.25 sacks.

Last year, particularly in February, the highest recorded transportation of rice outside the province was 47,287 sacks of rice.

Rice monitoring

Tayco said the NFA is strictly monitoring its rice prices in public markets in the province. Before passbooks are given to accredited retailers, they are asked to sign an oath of undertaking where it is stipulated that they will sell the rice according to prices that they impose. This oath is notarized.

The NFA rice is being sold to accredited outlets at P16.75 per kilo that sell them at P18.25 per kilogram. They have set up market watches team to monitor if this is being followed.

Tayco confirmed that there are also “no ghost retailers” in the province like what are reported in Manila. They said that before they give the passbooks, they make sure that the retailers have stalls.

Hunger mitigation program

Aside from monitoring rice prices, Tayco reported to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan that they have also been tasked to help in carrying out the hunger mitigation program of the national government under the poverty alleviation program.

Under this, the NFA will repack one kilo of rice that will be distributed to every grade 1 pupil under the Department of Education (DepEd) within 35 days. Another is being repacked for distribution to daycare centers through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) within 45 days before all are distributed to “Tindahan ni Gloria” and other rice stalls in the province.

To have good production of rice, Salvador said the Provincial Agriculturist Office is in close coordination with the Department of Agriculture and the Ginintuang Masagana Ani Program to give regular technical assistance to farmer from rice planting to harvesting.

They also guide the farmers, especially the seed growers, to produce quality rice seeds and help them have these examined and analyzed by the seed laboratory of the DA that can be found at the Irawan Provincial Agricultural Center.

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