Batac, NFA renew rice loan program

By Dominic B. dela Cruz

Staff reporter

Batac City—The city government here and the National Food Authority (NFA) renewed their rice loan program.

The renewal of the program came after the Sangguniang Panlungsod here passed a resolution calling for the same. Earlier, Batac Mayor Jeffrey Jubal Nalupta certified the resolution as urgent.

The NFA has a rice loan program for emergency situations that it opened for all local government units in the country.

Batac councilor Violeta Daradar-Nalupta, who sponsored the measure, said the resolution authorizes the mayor to sign a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with NFA for the rice loan program.

Ms. Nalupta added that it would be up to the mayor to decide the loan threshold for the program.

She also stressed that the MOA ensures that Batac will be given priority to secure rice supply in times of calamities. The rice would then be distributed to their calamity-affected constituents.

In the past, Ms. Nalupta reported that Batac has availed at least 200 bags of rice for emergency situations.

NFA provincial manager Beverly Peralta explained that the NFA rice loan program was designed to cushion the impact of various calamities that may hit the country and ensures the LGUs priority access to NFA rice for its immediate relief distribution operations.

Mr. Nalupta, for his part thanked the city council for passing the said resolution.

Meanwhile, city government records show that Brgy. Cangrunaan here, specifically Sitios Bulilising and Tumbol are the most flood prone area in the city and as such residents here are regular recipients of relief goods.

Ms. Nalupta however emphasized that relief goods are distributed equally to all of their affected constituents.

The lady councilor also disclosed that the Batac government is currently stocking up on relief goods as the LGU now has its own warehouse for it.