MANILA, Philippines - Rice sold at a government discount will soon be pulled out of Metro Manilas public markets, a move to ensure that the subsidized grain will reach their intended beneficiaries.
In a dzMM radio report, the Philippines social welfare secretary said that subsidized rice will only be sold to beneficiaries who hold family access cards. These government-issued cards, which feature a security bar code to prevent fraud, have been distributed to 150,000 families in eight to nine cities in Metro Manila.
An estimated 750,000 families are qualified to receive family access cards, allowing them to buy subsidized rice from National Food Authority (NFA) rolling stores, barangay halls, and other government outlets, Department of Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza A. Cabral said. Card applications of 350,000 families are currently being processed, she added.
Card holders are allowed to purchased as little as two to as much as 14 kilos of rice per transaction. Each transaction will be recorded in the card, including details identifying the amount of rice purchased and the person buying the grain.
Of 17 cities in Metro Manila, only Quezon and Makati cities have yet to submit their final list of beneficiaries, delaying the issuance of the cards to families residing in these areas, Cabral said. She added that the Makati City government on its own has distributed rice to its poor residents. - RJAB, GMANews.TV