Almost 10,000 Bags NFA Rice Released for Marawi Victims

The National Food Authority (NFA) has already released a total of 9,917 bags of rice to various relief-giving agencies for distribution to victims of the conflict in Marawi City.

From May 23 to June 28, the NFA released 6,067 bags of rice to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), with 600 bags withdrawn from NFA Misamis Oriental; 1,867 bags from General Santos City; 2,400 bags from Cotabato City and 1,200 bags from Maguindanao.

A total of 2,100 bags were issued to the local government unit (LGU) of Lanao del Norte, while 1,000 bags were withdrawn by the Office of Civil Defense in Lanao del Norte (700 bags) and Region 14 or ARMM (300 bags).

Among other entities that bought NFA rice for their relief operations are the Office of the Vice President and the Office of the Legislators with a total of 750 bags.

NFA administrator Jason Laureano Y. Aquino assured the people of Mindanao that the agency has enough food security stocks in the region and that the NFA is always ready to release rice anytime they are needed to feed the thousands of families and individuals displaced by the war against terrorists in Marawi.

Based on NFA market monitoring, rice prices remain stable in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), averaging at PHP33.80 per kilogram for regular-milled rice (RMR) and PHP36.75/kg for well-milled rice (WMR). Wholesale prices are at PHP31.15/kg for RMR and PHP35.10/kg for WMR.

In Maguindanao, rice retail prices average at PHP41/kg (RMR) and PHP43/kg (WMR); Lanao del Sur at PHP39/kg (RMR) and PHP50-PHP56/kg (WMR); Sulu at PHP27/kg (RMR) and PHP28/kg (WMR); Tawi-Tawi at PHP27/kg (RMR) and PHP33/kg (WMR); Basilan at PHP35/kg (RMR) and PHP43/kg (WMR).

The NFA continues to coordinate with the LGUs of Mindanao, DSWD, Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) and other relief agencies for the immediate release of rice for Marawi evacuees. (NFA-PR)