The National Food Authority (NFA) has assured residents of Oriental and Occidental Mindoro that rice supplies remain sufficient to meet demand for more than six months, despite ongoing distribution to other regions under a government food security program.

NFA Occidental Mindoro Branch Manager Elimar Regindin said warehouses currently hold 60,000 bags of milled rice and over 900,000 bags of palay (unmilled rice). Once processed, total supply could reach approximately 860,000 bags.

“Based on current monthly consumption levels, this is enough to sustain the province for more than six months,” Regindin told reporters.

In Oriental Mindoro, Acting Branch Manager Dennis Mejico reported stocks of 21,000 bags of milled rice and 288,000 bags of palay.

“Sapat ang supply ng bigas dito sa Oriental Mindoro. Hindi tayo nagkukulang sa supply sa mga warehouses natin,” Mejico said.

Mejico addressed the apparent lack of restocking of subsidized 20-peso-per-kilo rice at the Kadiwa Center in Calapan City, clarifying that distribution orders come directly from NFA’s central office.

“There has been no new directive to distribute rice to the Calsedeco Multi-purpose Cooperative, which manages the Kadiwa Center,” he explained.

The center’s rice stocks depend on instructions from Manila regarding timing and quantities for delivery.

Farmers increasingly prefer selling to the NFA, which offers P24 pesos per kilogram for palay compared to P18-19 pesos offered by private traders.

However, procurement faces constraints including a P9-billion-peso national budget allocation expected to last through December 2025, and limited warehouse capacity of only 18,000 additional bags per province.

Under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na”, NFA Occidental Mindoro must deliver 100,000 bags to the Visayas region.

As of May 20, 2025, the province had sent 35,000 bags on May 9, with 65,000 bags remaining for delivery. Oriental Mindoro has not yet made deliveries to other regions.

The program targets vulnerable sectors including beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and single parents.

File Photo: courtesy of NFA Oriental Mindoro