The administrator of the National Food Authority (NFA) has facilitated an inspection on rice samples from 35,000 sacks that arrived in Cebu in an effort to sustain the P20-per-kilogram rice program of the government. 

Larry Lacson, NFA administrator, showed to the news team scenes of the laboratory analysis on the quality of rice in the latest shipment. 

Lacson first checked the NFA warehouse at the pier area in Cebu City.

To recall, a total of 35,000 bags was shipped to Cebu from the Province of Mindoro.

Part of the shipment will be released for the "Benteng Bigas Mayroon Na" program of the national government.

The program has been rolled out in the Province of Cebu as a pilot site days to the May 2025 midterm elections, sold specifically to members of the vulnerable sector such as persons with disability (PWD), senior citizens, among others.

“Kahit ako, gusto ko sana all, lahat makabili, yan ang pangarap natin. Yan ang pinaplanohan, eto ang nangyayari initial selected rollout are pilot eh, tinitingnang mga challenges along the way bago tayo pumunta doon sa for all,” Lacson said.

Lacson also looked into the testing laboratory of NFA 7,” Lacson said.

Laboratory personnel checked the smell, natural flavor, color of the rice, among other parameters.

Checking the natural flavor would mean collecting samples and cooking the grains.

“Para ma-check natin na okay yun, pasado sa parameters ma-consider siya nga conformè. And then yung naka-store na mga regular stocks natin, may regular monthly tayo na sensory evaluation na ginagawa,” said Maria Odessa Mercado of the NFA Testing Laboratory.

“Inaamoy, hinihipo, niluluto, kinakain if lahat pumasa…this is part of our system in ensuring our rice is fit for human consumption whether medyo madilaw nang kaunti o medyo nag-brown kaunti o kahit magkaroon ng konting amoy, we make sure it’s good and fit for human consumption,” Lacson said.

At the warehouse in Banilad, Cebu City, trucks sent by local government units (LGUs) queued for the releasing of rice supply.

One of these LGUs is the Municipality of Catmon.

According to a staff member of Catmon LGU, they have to replenish the supply as sales is observed to be vigorous.

According to NFA 7, in Cebu alone, they already released NFA rice stocks to a total of 39 LGUs, as of this writing.