The City Government is going to purchase 20,000 sacks of rice from the National Food Authority (NFA) to distribute to around 11,000 households under the marginalized sector, the city administrator said Tuesday.
Atty. Arnel Pedrosa, city administrator and legal counsel told Palawan Daily News (PDN) Tuesday, March 17, the city government will ensure that poor families will still have food set on their table during this enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
“20,000 sacks ‘yan ‘yong aming bibilhin, kung aabot, kung kakayanin ng NFA. Pero, naka-ready na raw [ngayon] ‘yong 12,000 sacks. [Para doon] ‘yan [sa] ‘yong mga maaapektuhan ng work stoppage doon sa mga marginalized community natin, [‘yong] mga hindi makapag-trabaho dahil ‘yong hanap-buhay nila ay hand-to-mouth,” said Pedrosa.
“Hindi ko rin na-compute ‘yan pero medyo malaki-laking amount ang gugugulin ng city government diyan,” he added.
Mayor Lucilo Bayron on Tuesday announced that Puerto Princesa is under ECQ as directed by President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday.
President Duterte on Monday evening, March 16, declared an ECQ for the entire Luzon of which Puerto Princesa City belongs.
Pedrosa said the recipients of this assistance were already identified by the City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) officer.
He said the counting of families were based on the head-count of fathers of the households who are usually the bread winners.
“As the need arise siguro during the fourteen days period muna and the next distribution siguro ay as the need arise na,” said Pedrosa.
Pedrosa further stated it will be the CSWD to determine which system to adopt on the rice-distribution.