By Fems Pedregosa
Officials of the National Food Authority (NFA) in Western Visayas Regional Office V1 here in Quintin Salas, Jaro, Iloilo City are nowhere to be found to clarify some issues regarding the rice shortage and the skyrocketing prices per kilo of rice in the market.
NFA-Iloilo Branch information officer Lalaine Doronila told this reporter that Iloilo NFA Manager Epifanio Cosca, and NFA Regional Director Dianne A. Silva are not available for an interview. She tried to reach out their Operations Manager but to no avail.
The information officer also explained, because of the ongoing investigations NFA officials are hesitant to give their statement to media people.
Doronila told this reporter to refer all questions to the TV screen monitor being displayed at the NFA lobby because all the facts are there. This reporter was also being denied to take pictures inside the NFA bodega.
Doronila assured the Ilonggos that NFA has a buffer stocks of rice intended to the calamities and it is distributed thru DSWD and other related agencies. She clarified that NFA is not selling rice to retailers or traders since last year.
The mandate of NFA is to buy the palay produced by the farmers at P23.00 per kilo and sell it to DSWD, LGU and other related agencies at P1,250 per bag . She also explained that NFA is making money out of this buy and sell of rice. Their 50 years of existence is a proof of good management.
Doronila added that they are only buying the locally produced rice but they have no hands on rice importations since it was handled by the rice traders.
In an interview with the rice retailer, a certain Oscar told News Express since the time of President Rodrigo Duterte to date they no longer get their supplies at the NFA, and they have no choice but to get their supplies from rice traders. Since
