Duterte visits Cagayan, names Army chief as next NFA head

President Duterte visited yesterday Cagayan province, where typhoon “Ompong” made landfall last Saturday, and announced his plan to designate Army chief, Lt. Gen. Rolando Bautista, as the next administrator of the National Food Authority (NFA).

The President said he wanted Bautista to rationalize the “idiotic” structure in the NFA and ensure a stable supply of rice in the country.

Bautista, former Presidential Security Group (PSG) commander, is scheduled to retire from service next month.

A graduate of the Philippine Mili- tary Academy (PMA) in 1985, Bautista will take the place of NFA administrator Jason Aquino who recently offered to be relieved from his post last week. Aquino has drawn criticisms for the recent shortage of NFA rice that triggered price hikes in the market.

“NFA ka na. Mabait yan si Rolly (You’ll be assigned in NFA. Rolly is good),” the President

told Bautista during the government’s disaster response meeting in typhoonhit Cagayan.

“In the meantime, hindi kita malagay sa Central Bank, pwede ka muna sa NFA siguro to rationalize the idiotic itong, para maplano make it structural (In the meantime that I cannot put you in Central Bank, perhaps you can serve at the NFA to rationalize the idiotic structure, to plan, to make it structural),” he said.

Even as the country has adequate supply of rice, Duterte directed Bautista to make sure the government rice stocks are distributed from the warehouses to the market.

He said the incoming NFA chief should have a map to monitor the agency’s rice supply and ensure its efficient distribution especially during calamities. He added that he was mulling the purchase of trucks for the NFA that would efficiently deliver the rice stocks to the retail stores.

“There is a dearth of substantial knowledge of where the rice is (during calamity). I need somebody I can trust at masabihan ko na fix that. So wala na ako ibang malagay so si Bautista muna,” he said.

“In the meantime, you have to help the country and rationalize everything there. Keep a level of inventory,” he told Bautista.

Duterte also directed Bautista to enforce the law amid plans of the government to lift the import quota system and impose tariffs on rice.

He said he was supportive of the rice tariffication proposal to help stabilize rice prices and prevent shortage of the commodity. He said liberalizing the rice imports would also help stop corruption.

President Duterte visited on Sunday Cagayan de Oro and Ilocos Norte, two provinces hit by Typhoon Ompong.

The President attended situation briefings on the effects of the typhoon in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan at around 12 p.m., and at in Ilocos Norte two hours later.

Duterte will also visit Isabela, another province hit by the typhoon, on Tuesday.

Duterte saddened President Duterte assured the people that the government is ready to address the effects of the typhoon as he shared the grief of those who lost their loved ones due to the storm.

Duterte made the statement as he presided over the situation briefing on the effects of "Ompong" in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan Sunday afternoon.

In his opening remarks, Duterte said that while the damages caused by the typhoon is not as severe as the government expected it to be, services will be restored to affected areas as soon as possible.

“I want to assure people that government is present... It's important to fix bridges, electricity, services to the public,” he said.

“We thank God na ito lang ang inabot natin (that this is all we experienced)... not so severe as we expect it to be because earlier it was touted na malakas din ito (that would also be strong) so it got everybody worried,” he added.

According to Duterte, rehabilitation of affected areas should proceed immediately after the onslaught of Typhoon Ompong. He added that he will discuss calamity fund with Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno soon.

Prior the briefing, Duterte conducted an aerial inspection over the affected areas in Cagayan.

According to Duterte, he may not be able to go to all areas affected by the typhoon in one day so he assured to visit some other time.

“I may not be able to make the rounds of all the areas today. I may continue tomorrow,” he said.

Alter egos The President also said that he made the right decision to send Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III to their home provinces to oversee the government's preparation and response.

“And I think I made the right decision when I called for a tête-à-tête, very informal, it was a time that I said the Cabinet members should be here,” Duterte said.

“So I started to joke with Secretary Tugade who was from here and Bebot (Bello) because the typhoon was plotted to pass by Isabela, and the others,” he added.

“For one moment I did not doubt your presence here, Secretary Bello and Art (Tugade). Taga dito umuwi kayo doon harapin natin problema (You are from here and you went here immediately to face the problem). I am very pleased with the report,” he continued.

Government response

President Duterte is satisfied with how the government is addressing the effects of Typhoon Ompong.

During the press briefing in Tuguegarao Sunday, Roque lauded how there were no fatalities recorded in the Cagayan Valley. However, he said the government is sad to hear about the casualties in other areas.

“So far, zero casualty in Region II. Sana po sa briefing mamaya ay hindi po magbabago ‘yan (We hope that that will not change during the briefing later),” he said.

Presidential Political Adviser Francis Tolentino said the government’s preparation for the typhoon has been “very good.”

Panic-buying

There is no reason to go panic buying as the government has assured the public of adequate supply of food and other goods following the onslaught of typhoon Ompong.

After the powerful typhoon battered some provinces in Luzon, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said it was “business as usual” as the inventory of basic goods remains sufficient and prices are within the suggested retail price (SRP).

“Ang importante hindi kailangan mag-panic buying dahil ang supply is good for two to three weeks inventory (The important thing is there is no need for panic buying because the supply is good for two to three weeks of inventory),” Lopez said in a press conference by Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque in Tuguegarao City.

Lopez noted that they have not monitored any sudden price increases in basic goods in the typhoon-hit areas.

He said businesses have reopened with plenty of stocks for public consumption. To sustain the supply of goods, he said it was important to keep the roads open or tap alternative routes to bring the goods to the market.

Lopez also said the country has 4.6 million sacks of government rice and will make them available not only in public markets but also in the supermarkets.

Lopez said grains retailers would be required to sell basic regular and well-milled rice ranging from 138 to 141 per kilo.

Apart from food products, Lopez said they would also monitor the supply and cost of construction materials amid the anticipated rehabilitation in the typhoon-affected areas.