AGRICULTURE Secretary Emmanuel Piñol is amenable to the offer of the provincial government of Negros Occidental to move the National Food Authority (NFA) office in Barangay Tabunan, Bago City.
The site is beside the Rice Processing Complex.
"I visited the area along with Provincial Agriculturist Japhet Masculino and our NFA manager Frisco Canoy. I found the place very good. In fact, I am personally looking at establishing a silo (series of silos). If the NFA Council would approve it, and I think they would, the provincial government has agreed to construct a building for the NFA in the area," Piñol said.
However, Piñol said the NFA leadership will decide on the transfer.
He said: "Personally that's a go. Why should we have a warehouse in the middle of the city?"
Piñol also heads the NFA Council.
He said Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. made a good offer. He said they will turn over to the province the NFA building once the transfer materializes.
He said that Marañon also offers to build a silo for NFA which is a modern way of storing grains. "Where can you find an offer like that?"
Piñol said that he is confident the NFA Council will approve the transfer.
The NFA office is presently located at the prime property owned by the provincial government.
Marañon has been offering the NFA to relocate its office and warehouse in Barangay Tabunan but the agency, he said, is more concerned about their employees' convenience that's why they could not immediately decide.
He said the province will utilize the area, like transfer the Commission on Audit which has been asking him space for their old files.
Like Piñol, Marañon said that NFA needs space for their warehouse and to better serve the farmers.
Besides, Marañon said that once Ayala starts its operation, it would be difficult for NFA's delivery trucks to access the warehouse especially that the road going to their warehouse is also owned now by Ayala.
