Regions Briefs: Aug. 6, 2019

NFA buys fewer palay in Pampanga

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, Philippines — The National Food Authority (NFA) bought only 2 percent of palay (unmilled rice) supplies in Pampanga during the recent cropping season because of lack of warehouses in the province.

The NFA provincial manager, Julieta Aurora Orias, on Monday said the agency was buying palay at P20 per kilogram from cooperatives.

The NFA is buying palay until next year, Orias said, without giving the budget earmarked for that.

Vice Gov. Lilia Pineda asked the provincial board to approve the lending of provincial government-owned facilities in Porac, Floridablanca and San Simon towns, which the NFA could use as warehouses.

She said four grain dryers given by the Department of Agriculture could be stationed in warehouses so farmers could lower the cost of drying palay.

“We are looking for ways to help our farmers as the national government implements the rice tariffication law,” she said.

Cheap, imported rice has filled the markets, and traders have lowered farm gate prices to the disadvantage of local growers. —Tonette Orejas

Sto. Tomas cityhood vote set for Sept. 7

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has set for Sept. 7 the plebiscite to ratify the conversion of Sto. Tomas town in Batangas province into a component city.

Gerard Laresma, municipal information officer, said the cityhood bid was apt, considering the rapidly growing population of Sto. Tomas.

“Our [population] growth rate is at 4 percent annually. That’s even higher than the national growth rate,” Laresma said, attributing the increase to migration of workers into the town’s industrial zones.

In October 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act No. 11086, which converted Sto. Tomas into a component city.

The Comelec was supposed to hold the plebiscite 90 days after the law was enacted but rescheduled it to give way to the May 13 elections. —Maricar Cinco