Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief, Assistant Secretary Vigor D. Mendoza II committee manpower and resources in escorting trucks that will deliver sacks of rice across the country in line with the declaration of national food emergency on rice by the Department of Agriculture.

Mendoza said he already tasked the agency’s regional directors to to provide assistance on cargo trucks from point of origin to point of destination in order to facilitate the smooth movement of rice supply chain.

He said the smooth delivery of rice supply is essential in ensuring the unhampered and smooth national government intervention, particularly in cities and municipalities which would be identified as having shortage or extraordinary increase in rice prices.

“We will make available some of our personnel to escorts cargo trucks that would be tapped to deliver rice from the point of origin to point of destination. We will also be coordinating with the Department of Agriculture and other government agencies regarding this matter and we expect our LTO Regional Directors to do the same in their respective areas of responsibility,” said Mendoza.

The national food emergency on rice was declared in order for the national government to effectively address rice shortage and unusual price increase, according to the Department of Agriculture memo.

In the same memo, the declaration of national food emergency on rice was recommended by the National Price Coordinating Council wherein the DOTr is a member. The LTO is under the DOTr.

“With rice as the primary staple food for millions of Filipinos, there is a need for cooperation and coordination of all the concerned government agencies, including the LTO,” said Mendoza.

“We are ready to deploy manpower and resources in order to help attain the objective of this declaration because the main consideration here is the welfare of millions of our kababayan,” he added.