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Zamboanga City rice crisis slowly easing - mayor

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<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T2bclwkUDSM?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>MANILA - A rice shortage that prompted a state of calamity in Zamboanga City has started to ease, Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar said Thursday. </p><p>This after a shipment of commercial rice from Isabela province and India arrived in the southern city on Wednesday, Salazar told radio DZMM. </p><p>&quot;Ito pong situation namin, despite the declaration of state of calamity, unti-unting naibsan with the arrival of these commercial rice,&quot; she said. </p><p>(Our situation, despite the declaration of a state of calamity, is slowly easing with the arrival of these commercial rice.) </p><p>Commercial rice meant for Zamboanga had been diverted to other parts of Mindanao like Jolo, Sulu, which saw a massive fire that engulfed some 3,500 houses last month, Salazar earlier said. </p><p>Zamboanga declared a <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/08/22/18/state-of-calamity-declared-in-zamboanga-city-due-to-rice-shortage">state of calamity</a> on Wednesday as rice prices soared to P50 to P70 per kilo. </p><p>Local officials are waiting for clearance to use calamity funds to buy additional rice from Cotabato province, said Salazar. <br/> <br/>Some 180,000 sacks of government-subsidized rice will also arrive in Zamboanga City this weekend, said National Food Authority spokesperson Rex Estoperez in a separate DZMM interview. </p>

<p>A rice shortage that prompted a state of calamity in Zamboanga City has started to ease, Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar said Thursday. <br /> </p>

A rice shortage that prompted a state of calamity in Zamboanga City has started to ease, Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar said Thursday.