8% inflation...

or negative growth as they cannot get credit, cannot sell and therefore cannot expand.

“Let us not focus on the number but manage the cost and supply of rice, fish, vegetables,” he stressed. “The government’s BBB program is part of inflation but are we going to stop it? Of course not.”

Ortiz-Luis, however, admitted that business have also been affected by the higher inflation in a way. Based on their recent canvassing, it showed that exporters’ raw materials have increased prices. But he also stressed that companies’ main concern is not about food but cost of fuel and services. Those raising howl against the high inflation are the poor, he added.

Philfoodex President Roberto C. Amores also said that inflation will continue to rise unless the government implement measures to arrest skyrocketing prices of goods.

In saying this, Amores expressed hope for Duterte “to give marching orders to arrest the increasing prices of prices by giving specific orders to those in charge of food otherwise inflation will just go on rising.”

Because of the urgency to act on rising food prices, Amores has urged for timetables in the implementation of the 6 measures being adopted by the government economic managers to fight inflation.

One of his recommendations is to open the importation of goods to selected industries. For sugar, he reiterated PhilFoodex’s proposal to open importation to food processors for their own use only because they cannot compete with 160 per kilo sugar as against imported products from Asean countries, which are using 125-130 per kilo of sugar.

“We call on our leaders in government to drastically and pro-actively implement measures that would minimize if not avert the negative impact of rising cost of goods,” he said as he pushed for the passage of the Rice Tariffication Bill in Congress to help stabilize prices of rice in the domestic market.

He also called for the lifting of the ban on the use of MDS or hublothublot in catching fish as this has resulted in shortage in fish supply and consequent rise in prices of fish to their prohibitive levels.

For the longer term, he called for a review of government policies. “What’s happening now is a wake-up call. It is not for us to call for heads to roll but these are calls of ordinary Filipinos for government to wake up to review policy direction for rice. A reactive policy is never been good,” said Amores.

In the case of sugar, he said it has been subsidized for the past 400 years and still the country has not been able to attain sufficient local supply. It is about time to redirect the efforts of the heads of government.

Both PhilFoodex and Philexport were calling for the abolition of the Sugar Regulatory Authority and stop the protection of the sugar industry, which is living of subsidy to the detriment of most Filipinos.