SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union – At least 2.5 million bags of imported rice have been delivered here from January to the first week of July to sustain the sufficient rice supply requirement of the residents in the Ilocos and Pangasinan provinces including Abra and Benguet during the lean months until the end of this year, according to the National Food Authority (NFA). NFA Director Amado De Guzman said that the imported rice came from Thailand, Vietnam and Pakistan. He said the arrival of imported rice is very timely considering that the lean period is about to start. “With the arrival of the imported rice plus the locally-produced rice that are now stocked in the different NFA warehouses in Region 1 and, in Abra and Benguet provinces, our rice supply is very much sufficient even beyond 2010,” he assured. From the 2.5 million bags of imported rice that arrived at Poro Point here, a total of 172,500 bags is allocated for Ilocos Sur; 84,000 bags for Ilocos Norte; 561,134 bags for La Union; 603,200 bags for Eastern Pangasinan; 695,400 bags for Western Pangasinan; 124,000 bags for Abra; and 288,444 bags for Benguet. The bags of imported rice are already delivered and are now stocked at the NFA warehouses all over the region, and ready for distribution to all accredited NFA outlets. (Freddie Lazaro)

Health services for Isabela folk

ILAGAN, Isabela (PIA) – Ilagan Gov. Faustino G. Dy III assured Isabeliños of free health services in his incumbency as the chief executive of the province. In his inaugural message, Dy said he will return the free health services his elder-brother governors have started as this will benefit all Isabela residents needing medical help from the government. He said the establishment of district hospitals located to the four districts in the province with complete health facilities during the term of his brothers prove to deliver health services to the people. Vice Gov. Rodolfo Albano III also stated in his message that the free health services will be back for Isabeliños. During the first day of office of Dy, he visited Barangay San Antonio, Ilagan as the site for the construction of a new hospital catering the eastern villagers there. “We will return free health services for our people,” Albano said. Other programs that will be given development priority of Dy’s administration will be on agriculture, education, peace and order, tourism, and environment protection. Dy urged all local officials to support his administration to promptly serve the people as they were the one who gave the mandate to serve them.

Prices of sugar remain normal

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga (PNA) – The prices and supply of sugar in Central Luzon remained at the normal level amid the reported hikes in some parts of the country. Rolando Imperial, assistant regional director of the Department of Agriculture (DA), said that based on their latest price monitoring in some establishments in the region, the prevailing prices of sugar are ranging from P45 to P50 per kilo. Imperial said the price of white sugar is pegged at P45/kilo; brown sugar at P40/kilo, and the washed sugar at P32.kilo. The prices of sugar in the region are not high nor low. It is within the normal level, he said. Prices of sugar in some areas in the country, particularly in Metro Manila, are now pegged at R54 a kilo. He also allayed fears of some sectors for a possible supply shortage of the commodity. “There is nothing to worry.