Commercial rice at P39/kg available in NCR starting Monday —NFA

Beginning Monday, well-milled rice sold at only P39 per kilo will be available in the National Capital Region, the National Food Authority said Sunday.

"I-roll out na natin bukas ang ating P39/kg rice.  Ito yung ipinangako ng rice traders, millers doon sa ating Pangulo na bukas uumpisahan natin yan," NFA spokesperson Rex Estoperez told Super Radyo dzBB.

As promised at a meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte in Malacañang, rice traders and millers are set to allocated at least 700,000 sacks of rice to replenish the depleted NFA stocks.

This project, he said, will be called "Tulong Sa Bayan Caravan." Tarpaulins will be displayed at rice retailers' stalls in markets around Metro Manila, indicating that they are selling P39-per-kilo rice.

Estoperez said traders and millers from Nueva Ecija and Isabela will be supplying the cheap well-milled rice.

"Yung usapan namin sa Nueva Ecija manggagaling bukas ng madaling araw, mag-roll out na sila para doon sa kanilang outlets sa iba't ibang mga palengke," he said.

Estoperez said the NFA will closely monitor the delivery and distribution of the cheap rice to markets.

"Nag-offer kami ng support doon sa mga gustong mag-supply ng P39, yung bodega, yung ating mga facilities na pwede nilang magamit," he said.

"Pero sabi nila marami pang dadaanan 'yan. Kung idiretso na lang nila sa kanilang normal channels, mas mabilis," he added.

Estoperez said there is no limit as to the number of kilos of cheap rice an individual can purchase.

"Kung kakayanin naman ng ating mga rice millers and traders, e bakit ka pa magli-limit?" he said.

He likewise confirmed that first batch of sacks of rice that the Philippines has imported from other countries will arrive by mid-May.

"Ang ating estimate ay mid-May, first arrival siguro yan. Ang ating mga papeles ay naayos na at it has to pass through Malacañang yung G2G yan, government to government. Pero yung ibang importation natin, G2P, government to private," Estoperez said. —LBG, GMA News