QC parish runs out of gov’t rice on first day of distribution

April 9, 2008

THE Department of Agriculture and the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines yesterday started joint distribution of the staple at the Transfiguration of Our Lord Parish in Cubao, Quezon City.

The stocks ran out only after a few hours.

The parish had asked the National Food Authority for 25 sacks. But the agency told them it could allocate only up to 20 sacks for the parish, said Rolly Retirado, head of the parish’s social service committee.

Retirado said the number of people who lined up at the church patio was simply overwhelming.

“Dati rati, yung 15 sacks of rice namin dito umaabot ng two days bago maubos, pero ngayon yung 20 sacks ubos na agad in a matter of hours lang,” said the official, who has been involved in the undertaking for two years.

At least 27 of the 84 parishes in the Archdiocese of Manila have NFA outlets or cooperatives being used by the government for rice distribution.

Bishop Broderick Pabillo, chairman of the CBCP’s National Secretariat for Social Action (Nassa), has said they have asked the agriculture department to ensure ample supply of rice in the “Bigasan sa Parokya” outlets being worked out in the DA-CBCP agreement.

Nassa officials, the DA and Nassa are still finalizing details of the agreement.

Church volunteers said only two kilos were sold to each person.

Fr. Mar Castillo, coordinator of Caritas Manila, said they are alarmed over the shortage of rice supplies among their retailing parishes. In a press briefing, Castillo said they are forced to “hide” or not to display their rice stocks.

“The move is the only way for us to deliver cheap rice to where they are most needed and be able to shun pressure from other customers,” he said.

He reiterated the NFA needs to triple its allocation of 24,000 sacks a week for the Archdiocese of Manila.

In Makati City, Mayor Jejomar Binay instructed city officials to buy 2,000 sacks of rice from the NFA for distribution to 10,000 poor residents in the city.

“It is the poor who are bearing the brunt of the rice shortage. We want to help ease their burden by giving each family a substantial supply of rice for free,” Binay said.

BY GERARD NAVAL

source: http://www.malaya.com.ph/apr10/news2.htm

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