NFA rice unloaded

NAGA CITY—Some 21,500 bags of NFA (National Food Authority) rice intended for typhoon survivors in Leyte province were finally unloaded on Sunday from a cargo ship stalled for two weeks by bad weather at the Catbalogan port in Samar province, according to an NFA official.

The weather bureau lifted all public storm signals on Monday after Tropical Depression “Agaton” weakened into a low pressure area as it cut through Mindanao.

Rosario Cadiz, an economist of NFA-Samar, said the MV Alfonso Miguel was transporting the NFA rice from Cebu City to Leyte when it was stranded by heavy rains brought by Agaton in Catbalogan.

Unloading activities during the past days have been “on and off” depending on the weather, Cadiz said in a text message to the Inquirer. The bags of rice were finally brought to port on Sunday night when the weather improved, she said. Shiena M. Barrameda, Inquirer Southern Luzon