Senators urge gov’t to ensure poor gets rice
Senator Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV on Tuesday urged the government to ensure that the imported rice the National Food Authority (NFA) had procured will go to its intended beneficiaries to guarantee a steady supply of affordable rice in the market.
Aquino said he hopes that the beneficiaries would be given priority following the NFA’s promise of flooding the market with cheaper rice.
“More than a year since our citizens bore the high cost of rice. Now, let’s make sure that there is a steady supply of affordable rice to ease their plight,” he said in Filipino.
The government earlier said it expects prices of rice to drop with the arrival of the first tranche of imported rice. The rice, which has two varieties priced at P27 and P32 per kilo, will be distributed to provinces in Luzon and Mindanao.
Prices of commercial rice in the market rose to as much as P45 to P50 per kilo with the absence of NFA rice in the market since March last year. ‘Raid warehouses to stop hoarding’ Sen. Francis Pangilinan called on the national government should seek the help of law enforcement agencies to conduct raids and inspections of warehouses to ensure that affordable rice reaches the intended areas for the benefit of the low-income sector.
Pangilinan, presidential assistant for food security and agricultural modernization during the Aquino administration, said the manipulation of rice stocks by unscrupulous traders results in lack of supply, higher prices, and hungry Filipinos.
With this situation lurking, Pangilinan said the government can proactively nip this in the bud by seeking the help of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation in conducting raids at rice warehouses. (With a report from Mario B. Casayuran)