BICOL HAS ENOUGH RICE SUPPLY, SAYS NFA

LEGAZPI CITY— Rice and food supply in the Bicol region will not be a problem during the remainder of the enhanced community quarantine that is expected to be lifted on April 30, according to the National Food Authority (NFA).

Henry Tristeza, the NFA regional director, said 516,000 bags of palay (unhusked rice) had been stored in the agency’s warehouses, or the equivalent of 325,000 bags of rice when milled.the NFA has 8,055 bags of rice in stock, he said.

Under NFA guidelines, more than 333,000 bags of rice should serve as buffer stock to maintain the 15-day supply requirement.

Tristeza said local governments in the region had requested a total of 493,000 bags of rice. As of Tuesday, he said, 234,000 bags had been released.

The NFA is expecting the arrival of a shipment of 160,000 bags of rice from Mindoro province.

Rodel Tornilla, the Department of Agriculture director for

Bicol, also assured local governments and consumers that there was enough food for the region. Today is also the palay harvest season in Bicol, he noted.

Tornilla, earlier this month, said commercial and household food stocks were enough to last for 56 days.

Irrigation, flood control

More than 2,500 kilograms of vegetable seeds have been distributed in the region to encourage residents to do backyard and urban gardening.

Farmers and village officials in Albay province appealed to the government to continue its flood control and irrigation projects even with the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis, to prepare for the rainy season.

Doroteo Raro, village chief of Mayao in Oas town, said that while the government’s decision to suspend construction activities was helpful in preventing the spread of the disease, they were worried about their safety when the rains come.

“We fear for the loss of lives of residents when heavy rains occur,” Raro said, referring to flood-prone villages along the major rivers in Bicol.

Possible work resumption

Farmers have also pushed the resumption of an irrigation project in Barangay Busac in Oas to make productive more than 700 hectares of ricefields in Oas and Libon towns.

“There is a need for construction to resume because the lives of more or less 1,100 households will be endangered during bad weather,” said Oas Mayor Domingo Escoto Jr.

Albay Rep. Fernando Cabredo said the two infrastructure projects were “imperative to the day-to-day living of the people and these must continue.”

The Department of Public Works and Highways said it was preparing for the possible resumption of work on these projects on May 4 or this might depend on the region’s health situation.