VIGAN CITY - The National Food Authority (NFA) released a total of 2.2 million bags of rice amounting to P2 billion, and noodles worth P47,837 during the first quarter this year to all Tindahan Natin (TN) and Bigasan sa Parokya (BP) outlets nationwide, it was reported here.
The distribution of rice to the said outlets is part of the continuing support of the NFA to the government's program in eliminating hunger and alleviating poverty all over the country.
NFA Administrator Jessup P. Navarro cited that the TN and BP projects are focused on helping the marginalized sector, particularly the poor by giving them access to quality NFA rice which is being sold at a subsidized price of P18.25 per kilogram.
"20 percent of the agency's targeted rice sales per month is exclusively allocated for these projects," Navarro said.
At present, a total of 13,247 TN, and 1,548 BP outlets are actively operating nationwide.
Each outlet can serve 250 to as many as 1,000 beneficiaries wanting to buy NFA rice. Some 14 million consumers mostly from the marginalized sector benefit from the program daily.
He disclosed that the NFA jointly implements the TN program with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
The DSWD is the agency that identifies qualified TN operators and the area where the outlet was established giving priority to depressed communities with high incidence of poverty. The NFA accredits the TN operator and supplies the rice requirement of the outlet.
To make the program more effective, Navarro said, the provinces vulnerable to hunger, including the National Capital Region (NCR), were reclassified into Priority-1, Priority-2, and Priority-3 areas based on their poverty incidence level.
