Bet: Free rice for poor stays

Businesswoman and philanthropist Sarah Discaya will continue giving free rice to indigent families if she wins as mayor of Pasig City in the upcoming midterm elections.

“If we are fortunate, we will continue the free rice. We all know that the staple food of us Filipinos is rice,” Discaya told reporters and vloggers in an interview on the sidelines of a medical mission in Barangay San Antonio, Pasig City.

“That’s what we know should be provided. So, if we are fortunate, we will continue that program,” she added.

Discaya said she would source the rice directly from the farmers.

“At the same time, we’ll be helping the rice farmers,” she said.

Under the “Bigasang Bayan” program, residents may avail of the rice assistance in their barangays, her husband, Curlee Discaya, said.

Digitized system needed

“And, of course, to prevent abuse of the public rice distribution, we need to keep it digitized,” Discaya said.

“That’s where the Smart City comes in. This means that when you receive the rice, you just tap your ID on the QR code so it can be recorded that you’ve already received it.,” she said.

Aside from medical missions, Discaya — through the St. Gerrard Construction Charity Foundation — is also distributing rice to poor families every week.

Olaso gets death threats

Meanwhile, in Zamboanga City, 1st District Representative Khymer Adan Taing Olaso said yesterday he continued to receive “threats to his life” from a gun-for-hire group from Basilan province and Ozamis City.

“Yes, I confirm that I have received death threats and just recently they came from a gun-for-hire group from Ozamis City,” Olaso said.

He said the authorities are working to identify the group.

According to Olaso, he also received an anonymous call from a man claiming to be from Basilan province informing him that he was tasked to kill him.

Olaso believes influential and wealthy politicians are behind the effort to silence him. However, he declined to name those he believes are behind the threats.