By Donna Rempillo City of San Fernando, Pampanga – The Department of Agriculture (DA) has announced the four centers in Central Luzon where food passes would be issued to sustain the constant delivery of food and other agricultural commodities amid the enforcement of enhanced community quarantine in Luzon. The four centers are the DA Regional Field Office 3 Agribusiness and Marketing Division located at Capitol Compound, City of San Fernando in Pampanga; Regional Integrated Agricultural Research Center (RIARC) Lowland Station in barangay Paraiso, Tarlac City; Regional Crop Protection Center at PhilRice compound in the Science City of Munoz; and Provincial Agriculture Office of Bulacan in Malolos City. DA Regional Executive Crispulo Bautista Jr. said the food pass was a privilege given to suppliers and truckers to go in or pass through Metro Manila and other regions during the enhanced community quarantine. This would ensure unhampered movement of cargoes of agricultural supply, fishery inputs, food products and agribusiness personnel. “Covered by the food pass are perishable agricultural commodities such as rice, corn, fresh fruits and vegetables, root crops, onions, garlic, fresh eggs, fresh milk, and fresh young coconut (buko); livestock and poultry; fishery products; processed food products; and agricultural inputs such as fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, feeds, veterinary products, sacks, and handling materials for transport of agricultural produces/products,” Bautista added. Meanwhile, the provincial government will also issue travel passes to rice mills for them to accommodate palay of farmers this harvesting season. Rice mill owners should also submit a list of their employees to DA, and present the necessary permits so that they could operate amid the enhanced community quarantine. “This is for our food security in the province. Now is harvesting season and if we will not mill these palays, it will greatly affect our farmers.” Pineda said The list of farmers working in the municipality must also be submitted to DA RO3 with the endorsement of their Municipal Agriculturists; combine harvester are also required to get registration of employees and plates of vehicles.