NFA to ship 35,000 bags of rice to Cebu for P20/kilo program
According to the Department of Agriculture (DA), the latest shipment is part of the 100,000 50-kilo sacks ordered by Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia for distribution in the province. The first batch of 35,000 bags arrived three weeks ago.
'(T)his effort is about more than just bringing down prices — it is about recognizing and supporting the people who make it possible,' Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., who also chairs the NFA Council, said in a statement.
'By clearing space in our NFA warehouses, we are making room to buy more palay from you, our beloved farmers. Here in Mindoro, a vital rice-producing province in Southern Tagalog, you deserve not just recognition, but fair prices that truly reflect your hard work and sacrifice,' he added.
The NFA buys fresh palay or unmilled rice from farmers at P18 per kilo, and up to P24 per kilo for dry palay. This compares with the P13.50 to P18.00 per kilo buying price of private traders, against an estimated production cost of P12 to P14 per kilo.
The rice shipments are then sent to local governments and Katuwang sa Diwa at Gawa para sa Masaganang Ani at Mataas na Kita (KADIWA) Centers of the DA to be sold to indigents, senior citizens, solo parents, and persons with disabilities at P20 per kilo.
'This subsidized rice program is for every Filipino family striving to put food on the table—and for every farmer who rises before dawn, rain or shine, to feed the nation. Thank you. You are the heartbeat of this program, and the reason it has meaning,' Tiu Laurel said.
Tiu Laurel in January said the NFA is set to buy at least 300,000 metric tons of rice this year, with optimism that the country will hit a record for palay production.
Under its mandate, the NFA is tasked to maintain sufficient rice buffer stocks to be sourced mainly from local farmers. The agency, for its part, said it is also mandated to keep and dispose of 99.9% of stocks in good and consumable condition. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GMA Network
9 hours ago
- GMA Network
Manila Rep. Abante seeks creation of 'QuadComm 2.0'
Manila 6th District Representative Bienvenido 'Benny' Abante Jr. on Monday filed a resolution seeking to re-establish the House Quad Committee (QuadComm) to continue tackling 'unresolved' issues such as the extrajudicial killings (EJKs) and offshore gaming hubs in the 20th Congress. 'There is still work that must be done—truths that remain hidden, perpetrators who remain unpunished, and families who still wait for answers,' Abante said in a privilege speech. 'Let us reconvene the QuadComm in the 20th Congress. Let us continue the investigation into the extrajudicial killings that scarred our nation. Let us show the Filipino people that justice does not expire with time, and that this Congress has the courage to finish what it has started,' he added. House Resolution No. 106 seeks the committees on Human Rights, Public Order and Safety, Dangerous Drugs, and Public Accountability to conduct a joint inquiry to address the 'emerging and unresolved' issue raised in the previous Quadcom in the 19th Congress. Abante said the new committee named 'Quad Comm 2.0' would expand the investigation on the problems of 'criminality and criminal syndicates that have flourished across the years, often with the aid and protection of past and incumbent government officials.' An example, Abante said, is the case of the missing sabungeros, or cockfighting enthusiasts, which he noted may be a case of EJKs. 'May mga alegasyon pa na ilang miyembro ng ating kapulisan ay sangkot sa mga insidenteng ito, at mga matataas na tao sa lipunan. Hindi ito bago sa atin—ito'y kahalintulad ng mga kaso ng EJK na ating naimbestigahan noong 19th Congress, kung saan may umaabuso sa kanilang kapangyarihan,' Abante said. (There are also allegations that some members of the police are involved in the incident, along with some influential people. This isn't new to us—it's similar to the cases of extrajudicial killings we investigated during the 19th Congress, where some individuals abused their power.) The lawmaker also inquired about the fate of the foreigners apprehended from Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) and the buildings and properties they have acquired. Bukidnon 2nd District Representative Jonathan Keith Flores has been named head of the Committee on Dangerous Drugs, while Manila 2nd District Representative Rolando Valeriano was appointed chairperson of the Committee on Public Order and Safety. The House has yet to elect a new head of the Committee on Public Accountability. 'May nagsasabi na pulitika lang ito (Some say its political). But this is not a partisan crusade, Mr. Speaker. This is a moral one. Because murder knows no color but one: red—the color of blood unjustly spilled,' Abante said. The House Quadcomm inquiries resulted in the filing of the proposed Anti-Extrajudicial Killing Act and the Civil Forfeiture Act, which Abante said are important in curbing 'impunity and seizing the ill-gotten wealth of those involved in state-sponsored abuses.' —LDF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
10 hours ago
- GMA Network
Marcos: PH determined to have more direct flights with India
'We are determined to expand this to other carriers and to link other cities between the Philippines and India,' Marcos said. The Philippines is looking to have more direct flights to and from India, President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. said Monday. 'We launched the visa-free scheme for Indian tourists last June. This will be complemented soon by the recovery of direct flights led by Air India,' Marcos said during a meet and greet with the Filipino community in New Delhi. 'We are determined to expand this to other carriers and to link other cities between the Philippines and India,' he added. The President is in India for a five-day visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Beginning October 1, 2025, Air India will open its direct flights between New Delhi and Manila, the carrier had announced. To recall, the Philippines also granted visa-free entry to Indian tourists. Indian tourists will be able to stay in the country visa-free for 14 days, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) The visa-free arrangement aims to increase tourism arrivals from India, which rose 12% in 2024 to nearly 80,000, according to data from the Department of Tourism. –NB, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
11 hours ago
- GMA Network
Marcos: PH, India to elevate ties to strategic partnership
Pres. Marcos said the cooperation between the Philippines and India would intensify 'and become even more impactful in many areas that we have not explored with India before.' (Screenshot from PCO) President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. on Monday night disclosed that the Philippines and India would elevate their relations to a strategic partnership. 'For seven and a half decades, we have had excellent relations with India. But tomorrow, this relationship is going to receive a major boost, a major upgrade as Prime Minister and I inaugurate a strategic partnership between the Philippines and India,' Marcos said during his meeting with the Filipino community in New Delhi. Marcos said this means that the two nations' cooperation would intensify 'and become even more impactful in many areas that we have not explored with India before.' These include defense, trade and investment, health, tourism, and other areas, Marcos said. Marcos arrived in New Delhi this afternoon for a five-day state visit, which is upon the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Meanwhile, in the same event, Marcos said his foreign visits always aim to improve the lives of Filipinos abroad. He also lauded Filipinos in India, saying that they have made an excellent portrait of a Filipino to the rest of the world. —LDF, GMA Integrated News
