MANILA- The government assured Filipinos in the northern Philippines Wednesday of enough food supply in markets as the lockdown of Luzon moved past the halfway mark.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said there is a "sufficient" supply of basic food needs such as rice, meat, and vegetables in the market, noting that the movement of cargo should remain unhampered.

"According to the Department of Agriculture we should not be concerned as basic food requirements nationwide such as rice, fish, pork, chicken, and vegetables are sufficient," Nograles said in a televised briefing.

"Huwag po tayo mag-alala. Tuloy-tuloy po ang supply ng pagkain," he added.

(Let us not worry because there is a continuous supply of food.)

Stocks of rice meanwhile are enough to last for the next 2 and a half months, with the government procuring more, Nograles said.

The state grains agency last week said it had 9.3 million bags of rice and unmilled rice on standby to support demand for the staple grain during the lockdown.

Luzon's borders were temporarily closed on March 17 to limit the entry and exit of possible COVID-19 carriers. The lockdown is scheduled to end on April 12.

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