THE National Food Authority-North District Office (NFA-NDO) is hell-bent to penetrate public and private schools in Caloocan-Malabon-Navotas-Valenzuela area in its determined bid to step up the agency’s advocacy campaign of collecting one million signatures to become the so-called ‘Food Guardians’ who’ll be their partners in ensuring rice sufficiency.
NFA-NDO Manager Jaime S. Hadlocon strongly believes that public and private mentors can be their effective partners for everyone to know about the need to give importance on rice sufficiency and the negative effects of staple wastage.
“We’re looking forward to ink a partnership with the teachers as well as school officials in our ‘Food Guardian’ campaign as this’ll be an effective tool for all of us to value this Filipinos’ main staple, besides they can effectively make their students more aware and eventually the parents about this drive,” he says.
In fact, he’s set up a “pledge wall” at its Valenzuela City main office where consumers as well as retailers can sign their pledge of support to become a food guardian. As a ‘food guardian,’ the manager explains that he must not waste rice, will help in making sure that rice is available, accessible, affordable and visible in public markets and will follow the correct food handling procedures to make sure that rice is safe for consumers.
Mr. Hadlocon is all praises for NFA Administrator Renan Dalisay for initiating the campaign on a national level. “This is right time for all of us to be more aware about the importance of this main staple which has been wasted in many instances but we all care less about its effect in the long run,” he says.
The NFA-NDO chief has cited data on rice wastage which showed that each Filipino wastes two tablespoons of cooked rice daily which if not wasted could feed 2.6-million Filipinos a year. “This wastage in rice can be seen in most eateries and fast food restaurants where people eat rice and leave plenty of it, unmindful of how this rice wastage would affect rice sufficiency in the long run.” He reiterates the food guardians are expected to uphold the agency’s rice sufficiency initiatives by not wasting rice.
The officers and members of the Press Corps, the most established and oldest media organization in northern Metro Manila, have thrown their support to NFA’s advocacy campaign as they registered their names on the ‘Pledge Wall.’
NO EXTENSION ON NAVOTAS’ BUSINESS PERMITS, LICENSES
Mayor John Rey Tiangco has urged his local taxpayers not to wait for the final deadline to renew their business permits and licenses as the local government will not entertain any extension after the January 20 deadline.
“Magbayad ng maaga upang ‘di magmulta,” says the mayor as he directs the concerned local departments and officials to make them available during Saturdays and Sundays of the month in order to accommodate those who renew their permits and licenses. GOOD RIDDANCE/ARLIE CALALO
