THE National Food Authority (NFA) said over the weekend that it is looking for 1 million volunteers to serve as “food guardians” who will help the government prevent profiteering and ensure the stability of rice supply and prices.
NFA Administrator Renan Dalisay said the “Food Guardian” campaign will be launched during the kick off of its Grains Industry Week celebration on Monday.
“Our Food Guardian campaign aims to solicit the participation of at least 1 million volunteers across the country to serve as food guardians of 100 million Filipinos,” Dalisay said in a statement.
He said volunteers will undergo trainings and seminars on the rules and regulations in the grains business, market monitoring and food handling and safety, among others. They will also be linked with other stakeholders and industry-related NFA projects, such as Bantay Bigas, in collaboration with the Kaya Natin! Movement.
Sign-up booths will be open at the NFA warehouse along Visayas Avenue in Quezon City and NFA offices nationwide during the week-long celebration of the Grains Industry Week. Volunteers will be able to register, have their photos taken and sign on the Pledge Wall in the said booths.
Those who are interested in joining the campaign, but will not be able to come to the sign up venues, may contact the NFA on the Food Guardians Facebook page.
According to the NFA, the 1 million food guardians shall be identified with the hashtag #1for100iNFAntry on its Facebook page.
Dalisay said this year’s celebration of the Grains Industry Week will involve the participation of NFA stakeholders nationwide, as well as other government agencies involved in food productivity, food security and safety.
Presidential Proclamation 1058 issued in 1997 declared September 20 to 26 of every year as Grains Industry Week to coincide with the founding anniversary of the NFA.
The NFA said the Grains Industry Week celebration aims to emphasize the enhancement of national food security, the promotion of food safety and quality consciousness among people and fair trade practices in the grains market and the institutional development of farmer cooperatives into self-reliant and competitive economic entities.