More than 600 ‘Tindahan Natin’ converted to ‘Barangay Bigasan’
Six hundred fourteen new Barangay Bigasan Outlets in Western Visayas will now sell NFA rice at P25, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the National Food Authority.
The 614 stores were formerly Tindahan Natin Outlets converted as BBOs after the implementation of Tindahan Natin ended last month.
NFA Administrator Jessup Navarro in his recent memorandum has instructed for the conversion of TNOs to BBOs.
“We look at this as an advantage for our Tindahan Natin outlet operators. Now that they are BBOs, they have a larger scope in selling rice. They can also enjoy bulk purchase of rice for them to sell. In a way, this is empowering for them to grow their enterprise,” said DSWD 6 Director Minda Brigoli.
Under the BBO, rice will be sold at P25 instead of the P18 per kilo under Tindahan Natin. The lower price under Tindahan Natin was due to subsidized purchase of rice by the government.
“The new BBOs can also sell almost to everyone unlike before when they had to sell to a limited number of beneficiaries. While the P18 per kilo cannot be availed by the people anymore, they can still buy rice through BBOs at P25, which is much cheaper than the commercial rice. We also have to accept the fact that projects, such as Tindahan Natin, end its span of life,” Brigoli said.
NFA Regional Director Miguel Wycoco said they have been advised to convert TN outlets to BBOs to sell rice at P25 per kilogram.
“Should there will be future moves to subsidize the purchase of rice to make it cheaper to the people, we, at the NFA would readily welcome so. As to conversion to BBO, we are facilitating for the conversion of all TN outlets,” he said.
