Photo courtesy of Leilanie Adriano/PNA
Residents in Ilocos Norte have continued to flock to a government warehouse in Laoag City to purchase subsidized rice under a state-backed program.
Daily lines have formed outside the National Food Authority (NFA) facility, where buyers have been able to obtain rice at Php 20 per kilo during weekday selling hours.
The distribution has been handled by Food Terminal Inc., with each qualified buyer allowed to purchase up to one 50-kilo sack.
Program implementers said most of those availing themselves of the offer were minimum wage earners, senior citizens, and other vulnerable groups.
Officials from NFA reported that thousands of rice sacks had already been released for the initiative since it began in August last year.
They said a fresh batch of stocks had recently been issued and was being sold on site, with supplies expected to last until fully consumed.
Authorities maintained that buffer stocks remained sufficient to sustain the program as it continues to roll out in the province.