Due to the overwhelming positive response of San Juan City residents to the P33 per kilogram rice sale program of the city government and the National Food Authority (NFA), the 5-kilogram packs of rice will also be sold to San Juaneños at P33 per kilogram.
San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora said that the initial 1,000 sacks of rice purchased by the city government from the NFA were sold out during its initial sale on Feb. 24.
This prompted the city government to offer 5-kilogram packs of rice to residents at P165 per pack, or still at P33 per kilogram, to give more affordable options and flexibility to their constituents.
"San Juaneños who wish to buy either the 5kg packs or the 50kg sacks (priced at P1,650 per sack) must first register at the city hall lobby to ensure proper supply management and prevent shortages. Those who wish to buy 10 or 15 kilos can buy 2 or 3 packages of 5 kilos rice. Preregistration for Batch 2 of the rice selling begins today (Feb. 25), ensuring that those who sign up will have access to the next round of affordable rice distribution," Zamora explained.
He also ordered the preregistration for both 50kg sacks and 5kg packs to accommodate more buyers.
Beginning Feb. 26, the 5kg rice packs will be available for sale at the San Juan City Hall wherein the city government will monitor demand for both rice package sizes and adjust its procurement from Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) accordingly.
This procedure ensures that while there is no oversupply, those who register will have the opportunity to buy their allocated rice without unnecessary shortages.
During NFA's turnover of the first batch of sacks of well-milled rice to select local government units (LGUs) in the country, Zamora said the city government will shoulder the logistical costs of the purchased rice to San Juaneños as part of its efforts to provide financial reprieve to its residents.
"Kami po ay hindi na magpapatong. So, kung nakuha po namin ito for P33 per kilo which is equivalent to P1,650 kada sako, yun na din po ang halaga ng pagbenta namin. Ito ay sapagkat ayaw na din naming maging dagdag pasanin pa ng ating mamamayan. The LGU of San Juan will cover all the costs for the trucking, hauling, logistics, and yung paglipat po from here sa warehouse going to San Juan City (If we purchased the rice for P33 per kilo which is equivalent to P1,650 per sack, then that's also how much we will sell it to San Juaneños. This is because we do not want this to be another burden to our constituents. The LGU of San Juan will cover all the costs for the trucking, hauling, logistics, and all transportation expenses from here at the warehouse going to San Juan City)," the mayor explained.