Article by:
Marita Moaje
MANILA – The National Food Authority (NFA) has confirmed that two million bags of rice are available and ready for immediate distribution, as it continues to monitor and redistribute stocks daily to prevent shortages and oversupply.
“Well, sa ngayon, ang ating buffer stock kung lahat ay nagiling na ito, ito ay nasa 10.3 days to last. So, kung ang lahat ng ito ay giling na, nasa walong milyong bags na milled rice ang katumbas nito (Well, for now, our buffer stock, if everything is milled, will last for 10.3 days. So, if all of this is milled, it would be equivalent to eight million bags of milled rice),” NFA Administrator Larry Lacson during a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon interview over PTV4 on Wednesday.
“Pero ang actual milled rice natin ngayon is naka-2.6 million bags tayo ngayon, 600,000 doon ay for withdrawal ng ating mga nanalo sa auction. So, with that, nasa dalawang milyong sako ng bigas ang (But our actual milled rice now is at 2.6 million bags, with 600,000 of those for withdrawal by our auction winners. So, with that, we have around two million sacks of rice) ready for distribution,” he added.
To maintain freshness and prevent wastage, Lacson said the NFA uses controlled milling and rotates older stocks through auctions and the government’s Benteng Bigas Meron Na program.
He said the agency is also speeding up milling to augment the rollouts of the PHP20 rice.
The NFA, he said, currently uses its old system in monitoring supplies, as the digitalization program that started in 2025 is expected to be completed in 2028.
“Kapag nakumpleto po itong lahat ay talagang digital, from palay procurement to distribution ay digital na po iyan, mas madali. Pero sa ngayon, we’re using the old system where our regional offices, branch offices, and warehouses are reporting on a daily basis kung ilan iyong nari-release nila at pumapasok (Once everything is completed, it will be fully digital, from palay procurement to distribution, making it much easier. But for now, we’re using the old system where our regional offices, branch offices, and warehouses are reporting daily how many are being released and received),” he said.
Lacson said the NFA assures that rice distribution is balanced with emergency preparedness, including monitoring for potential disasters such as volcanic eruptions and typhoons.
“We don’t let our stocks na talagang mabenta lahat sa ‘Benteng Bigas’ na mabilisan kung saan magkakaroon naman tayo ng problema for calamities and emergency responses. It’s part of our mandate. It’s part of our strategy na balansiyadong-balansiyado iyan (We don’t let our stocks be completely sold out at the ‘Benteng Bigas’ quickly, where we would then have problems for calamities and emergency responses. It’s part of our mandate. It's part of our strategy that it's very well-balanced),” he added.
Lacson assured the public that the country has sufficient rice available, and urged consumers not to queue excessively at the Kadiwa or Benteng Bigas centers. (PNA)
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