SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – The National Food Authority (NFA) unloaded 25,000 metric tons of imported rice today June 20 at the Naval Supply Depot (NSD) Subic Bay Freeport.
The imported rice shipment from Vietnam arrived on June 2, the same time another shipment arrived in Surigao, but the shipment in Subic had to wait for thirteen days due to bad weather. The shipment of imported rice is part of the NFA’s thrust to provide affordable rice to Filipino consumers.
The ports of Surigao and Subic are two of the 14 designated discharge ports for the rice importation across the country as consumers from the Caraga region in Mindanao have benefited from these imported rice since it was available in June 8.
In the province of Agusan Del Norte, the agency has already distributed 655 bags to accredited retailers in the area. The agency has already deployed a mobile store in Surigao Del Norte that sells rice at P27 per kilo in Alegria.
As of June 19, a total of 107,600MT of imported rice from Thailand and Vietnam have already arrived in various ports all over the country and another 97,040MT of rice are still in the ports waiting to be unloaded after proper documentation is completed.
Another four vessels are in transit carrying 33,100MT while 60,700MT are still being loaded in Vietnam and Thailand. Arrivals of all contacted volume are expected to be completed this week.
Of the total volume, A total of 75,000MT will be discharged in the Port of Manila, 25,000MT each in Subic and Cebu, 20,000MT in Tabaco, 19,000MT in Batangas, 16,000MT in Cagayan De Oro City, 15,000MT in Davao, 14,000MT in Poro Point, 12,000MT in Tacloban, 10,000MT in General Santos City, 6,000MT in Cagayan De Oro, 5,000MT in Surigao City, and 4,000MT each in Iloilo and Bacolod. (Dante M. Salvana)