Tindahan Natins make cheap, good quality rice accessible to Aklanons

Kalibo, Aklan -- Eighty (80) Tindahan Natin outlets in Aklan located in all municipalities here are sustaining the program of the government of easing hunger and mitigating poverty by providing the people access to cheap but of good quality rice from the National Food Authority (NFA).

According to the NFA here, all the Tindahan Natin outlets in Aklan are actively operating. The Tindahan Natins here sells NFA rice uniformly at P18.00 a kilo, providing residents especially in far-flung areas an economical alternative in buying rice.

Judith Tindog, NFA-Aklan Information Officer said NFA rice consumers have good and positive things to say about the current quality of the basic commodity, and are always “return buyers” meaning they come back to buy more rice on a regular basis from the NFA once they had eaten and tasted it.

The “return buyers” also tell their friends and neighbors about the good quality of NFA rice, in effect convincing them to also buy from the NFA or from Tindahan Natin outlets.

The putting up of the Tindahan Natins nationwide was facilitated by the Department of Social Welfare and Development. The operators of TNs in Aklan were endorsed by the Project Officer of the DSWD here, Janet Calizo. As start up capital of the TNs, operators were lent P20,000 each payable within a given period but free of interest. Aside from NFA rice, operators can also opt to sell grocery items in their stores.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has announced recently that hunger mitigation measures, like the Tindahan Natin and Barangay Food Terminals will be receiving significant budgetary hikes in 2008.

According to her, the government has allocated P181 million for these measures, resulting in the establishment of 6,583 TN outlets in the most depressed areas in 52 provinces nationwide.

The President added that 200 more TN outlets would be established in Metro Manila before the year ends.

It is seen that with the increase in budget in hunger mitigating measures of the government, more Tindahan Natin outlets would also be established in Aklan in 2008. (PIA/Venus G. Villanueva)