CEBU CITY, Philippines—The National Food Authority (NFA) office in Central Visayas said spillage in the region during the unloading and transfer of rice stocks was unavoidable.
Lucy Rosales, the NFA public information officer in Central Visayas, said the spillage was considered part of the operational losses, which include expenses for the transportation of the rice shipment and rental for the hauler trucks and the warehouse.
Rosales was reacting to an Inquirer article quoting a report by the Commission on Audit stating that the NFA lost 7.79 million kilos of rice due to short-landing spillage in unloading and transfer of stocks from one warehouse to another. The book value of the lost rice was placed at P225.51 million.
Unavoidable losses
The losses were reported in eight NFA regional offices, with losses in Central Visayas reaching 1.086 million kilos worth P30.067 million.
“That’s part of the operational losses. At least, we are not losing because of big salaries for the employees and personnel,” Rosales said.
She said the spillage could not be avoided in the shipment of rice, especially in the delivery to the warehouse and from the warehouse to the different sites of distribution.
Because the NFA dealt with thousands of sacks, the spillage added up, she said.
Rosales said the spillage rice stocks could not be avoided since the NFA would continue to implement several propoor programs like the food-for-school program with the Department of Education. Jhunnex Napallacan, Inquirer Visayas