NFA says 14,564 Tindahan Natin outlets boosting campaign vs poverty, hunger

MANILA, Philippines — National Food Authority (NFA) Administrator Jessup P. Navarro said the government has boosted its efforts at reducing the incidence of poverty and hunger through the operations of 14,564 Tindahan Natin outlets nationwide. The Tindahan Natin program, which is managed jointly by the NFA and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), was crafted precisely to allow poor Filipinos access to cheaper rice and other food items, Navarro said. DSWD takes charge in setting the criteria for areas where TN outlets are to be located while NFA licenses, accredits and supplies each outlet with rice. TN outlets sell quality but affordable NFA rice at P18.25 per kilo. These outlets are generally found in depressed communities. Navarro said starting this month, only those with Family Access Cards reviewed and validated by the DSWD would be given the privilege to purchase subsidized rice in TN outlets in the National Capital Region (NCR). Consumers in the provinces can also have this kind of access if their names are found in the TN Rice Allocation ledger. Cumulative rice sales of the TN outlets as of end of November this year already reached 10.95 million bags nationwide, valued at P 9.1 billion. To date, 1,936 TN outlets operate in the NCR with cumulative rice sales reaching 1.4 million bags valued at P1.24 billion. There are 12,628 TN outlets in the provinces. - GMANews.TV