TUGUEGARAO CITY — Due to the rice shortage in Batanes and in response to the request from its governor, the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office 2 (DA-RFO2) has shipped 200 packs of rice weighing 5 kilograms each to the island province. In a letter, Gov. Marilou Cayco requested DA-RFO2 Executive Director Rose Mary Aquino for assistance to augment their rice supply in Batanes. Cayco said there was a rice shortage in the province due to the unavailability of commercial ships transporting supplies to the island due to Typhoon Enteng and the monsoon rains. The governor also asked the National Food Authority (NFA) to provide at least 2,000 sacks of rice to be sold in Kadiwa outlets in the province. Aquino said she had already discussed the issue during the recently held DA-RFO2 Management Committee meeting and the group agreed to provide 2,000 kilograms of rice assistance. In addition, Aquino said 200 more packs of rice would be delivered soon to complete the assistance. "We thank the Philippine Marines for the use of their vessel and members of the Agta tribe for their assistance in loading the said items," Aquino said. Aquino said Batanes usually gets its rice supply from the NFA in the National Capital Region and is stored in the agency's warehouse in Basco town. Aside from rice, Aquino said they also sent ready-to-plant seedlings of guyabano, jackfruit, santol, calamansi, sweet Abulug pomelo and 150 bottles of mushroom spawns for the Ivatans to grow.