Manila LGU to start distributing rice subsidies next week

Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The local government unit (LGU) of Manila may start distributing rice subsidies starting next week, City Mayor Isko Moreno revealed on Thursday night.

Moreno said this after inspecting a rice storage facility in the Pritil Market in Tondo, Manila, where sacks of rice procured from the National Food Authority (NFA) were placed.

He said Manila has purchased at least 50,000 sacks of rice, or about to 2.5 million kilograms.

“We are trying to accumulate basic goods and particularly rice, so we entered into a contract with NFA about two weeks ago, and we are now doing some storing in our facilities, hoping in our own little way, to extend food assistance to our people,” Moreno said in an ambush interview.

“This is going to be delivered by next week in their respective barangays, hopefully, may awa ang Diyos (God-willing), because we ordered 50,000 sacks of rice, that’s 2.5 million kilos of rice,” he added.

According to Moreno, with the 2.5 million kilograms of rice, they can provide around 571,000 households with at least three kilograms of rice each, although he admitted that it may not be enough for the duration of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), which will last until April 30.

“As you can see, maraming-marami na, marami kanina, marami ngayon, pero sa totoo, wala pa ho ‘yan sa kalingkingan ng kakailanganin ng ating mga kababayan,” the local chief executive noted.

(As you can see, there are numerous sacks of rice, we showed several earlier, but honestly, that is only a small fraction of what our people need.)

“If we have 571,000 families, at three kilos, that’s more or less 1.5 to 1.8 million.  So may buffer pa kami, but it’s better na sobra kung sosobra, para maakap namin hangga’t maaari ang lahat,” he added.

(If we have 571,000 families, at three kilos, that’s more or less 1.5 to 1.8 million.  So we still have a buffer stock, but it’s better that there would be an excess in supply so that we can accommodate more families.)

As of Thursday, there are 277 patients with COVID-19 in Manila, with 427 more patients under investigation.

Manila and the rest of Luzon are still under the ECQ due to the rising COVID-19 cases.  Department of Health officials said that there are now at 4,076 patients infected with COVID-19, 203 of which have already died while at least 124 have recovered.

Worldwide, over 1.5 million individuals have been infected, while 88,228 have died from the disease and 330,934 have recovered from it.

Moreno assured Manila residents that they have a plan in case the ECQ is extended, but they are reserving it for a worst-case scenario.

“We have an additional plan, and we will implement it if necessary.  For the meantime this is now something na medyo ahead sa sitwasyon in terms of need.  It may not suffice the entire basic needs, but at the very least, bigas is pinaka-importante sa ating mga kababayan,” he said.

(We have an additional plan, and we will implement it if necessary.  For the meantime this is now something that is ahead of the situation.  It may not suffice the entire basic needs, but at the very least, rice is the most important food for our countrymen.)

Edited by JPV