The “Bigas ng Bayan” outlet at the Food Terminal Market of Negros Occidental (FTMON) beside Ayala Malls Capitol Central in Bacolod City, is once more selling rice at P25 per kilogram.
Pedro Limpangog, president of the Federation of Irrigators Association of Central Negros-Bago River Irrigation System (FIACN-BRIS), said that they are targeting 470 priority consumers to avail of the low-priced rice.
Priority consumers, including senior citizens, indigents, and persons with disabilities (PWDs), among other buyers, can avail only up to five kilos each.
Limpagog disclosed that the rice being sold was produced by 44 members of the FIACN-BRIS southern sector, in the areas of Bago City, Valladolid, Pulupandan, San Enrique, and La Carlota.
Last month, the “Bigas ng Bayan” outlet sold rice to at least 455 individuals at FTMON, which was produced by FIACN-BRIS northern sector.
Limpangog said the proceeds will be used to buy more rice from other rice farmers, to be sold at FTMON at P25 per kilo.
The provincial government tapped the FIACN-BRIS, which is under the National Irrigation Administration – Negros Occidental Irrigation Management Office, for its Dagyaw Project to produce high-yield rice at a lower production cost, with the assistance of job order (JO) workers who are also association members, in planting crops and operating farm machinery.
Limpangog said the JO workers hired by the provincial government to help members of FIACN-BRIS, along with the farm equipment extended to them, helped a lot in reducing their labor inputs.
During the presidential campaign in 2022, President Marcos Jr. promised to bring down the price of rice to P20/kg during his administration.
In a statement, NIA Administrator Eduardo Guillen said the lower prices of rice in Negros Occidental was a result of the combined efforts of the FIACN-BRIS, the provincial and local government units, and the NIA, as a “testament to the PBBM administration’s vision of combating hunger and poverty and achieving food sufficiency and security across the country.”
“NIA continues its commitment to developing efficient and sustainable irrigation systems to uplift the lives of the Filipino farmers with the aim of propelling wealth creation opportunities in the agricultural sector of the country,” Guillen said.
(Gilbert Bayoran via The Visayan Daily Star (TVDS), photo courtesy of TVDS)
