The National Food Authority (NFA) regional office here is preparing the release of 71,000 bags of rice to interested local government units (LGUs) in Eastern Visayas under the food security emergency for rice.

NFA Eastern Visayas Regional Manager May Sara Sabarre said they have been meeting with local government officials ahead of the expected release of cheaper rice starting Feb. 15.

The Department of Agriculture declared the food security emergency for rice on Monday, allowing the distribution of rice in the Metro Manila area and some regions in Luzon, she said.

“We have been asked to prepare for the nationwide implementation starting Feb. 15. Initially, there are requests from local government units in Leyte and Samar, but we are still waiting for confirmation from them,” Sabarre told the Philippine News Agency on Tuesday.

Initially, local government units that expressed interest in distributing NFA rice were the Leyte provincial government and city governments of Ormoc and Baybay (Leyte), Maasin City (Southern Leyte), Calbayog City (Samar), Catbalogan City (Samar), and the municipal government of Catarman, Northern Samar.

Under the food security emergency for rice, the NFA will start selling its rice stocks, even those not aging, in select Kadiwa ng Pangulo sites to local government units, other government agencies, and government-owned and controlled corporations at PHP36 per kilogram.

Consumers may then access the NFA rice at a maximum price of PHP38/kg.

“If NFA floods the market, it will influence the price of rice. This is based on our experience in the past, where 10 percent of rice in the market came from NFA,” she added.

The passage of the Rice Tariffication Law in 2019 restricted the agency to procuring palay from local farmers and solely for buffer stocking. (PNA)