Employees of the National Food Authority (NFA) and other volunteers from the Philippine Red Cross on Friday assured communities affected by the magnitude 7 earthquake in northern Luzon, especially in Abra province where the epicenter was traced, that there is enough rice for all of them.

In a phone interview, NFA Ilocos Norte branch acting manager Jonathan Corpuz, who has been in Abra since Thursday to personally supervise the repacking of NFA rice for distribution to the affected families, said the agency has so far released a total of 1,680 bags to the local government units (LGUs).

Though some of the NFA warehouses in Abra were not spared from the magnitude 7 earthquake last July 27, Corpuz assured the public that the agency has enough rice stocks for all requesting local government units (LGUs).

“We have 9,500 bags of well-milled rice ready for dispatch and we can release more if needed,” said Corpuz, adding he is in constant coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, LGUs, and other agencies to ensure that all affected families will receive relief aid until the situation in the province goes back to normal.

The NFA chief said the agency has standing memoranda of agreement with various relief agencies like the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Office of Civil Defense, and LGUs which allow them to withdraw rice on credit from the food agency for their relief operations anytime during calamities and emergencies.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Friday said it continues to record aftershocks ranging from magnitude 1.5 to 5.0.

The agency warned that aftershocks may occur for several days and even months after classifying the magnitude 7 tremor as a major earthquake.

Meanwhile, provincial social welfare and development officer Corazon Lilian Celia reported Friday that approximately 2,000 food packs are also being prepared from Ilocos Norte to aid quake victims in neighboring provinces. (PNA)