More than lower prices

WILL the government’s move to prohibit the use of rice variety names such as “Sinandomeng” and “Angelica” help in bringing the price of commercial rice in the country down to the pre-crisis level?

Secretary Emmanuel F. Pinol of the Department Agriculture believes that limiting the rice variety names to the generic terms such as regular milled rice, well-milled rice and special rice has an effect on price because rice traders can no longer cash-in on the claimed rice varieties.

This move of the government has a value beyond lower rice prices in the market because it is also about stopping the traders’ deception and unfair trade practice.

The revelation of Secretary Pinol that there is really no “Sinandomeng” and “Angelica” rice varieties is disturbing, to say the least. One big question that it raises is – why is this information revealed only now when such rice variety names or labels has been used for years now.

Would the same be revealed if the country did not experience a rice crisis?

The supplemental revelation of Secretary Pinol is more disturbing – traders who use real rice varieties such as “Dinorado” and “Jasmine” are using the names for what is expected to be lesser valued rice varieties.

Again, has this “unfair trade practice” and “deception” only discovered now?

The non-discovery of the same earlier (considering the sensible assumption that they have been practiced for years now) is a clear case of government failure to do its mandate of serving the interest of the public.

One interesting question is – will the government limit its actions to regulating the use of rice variety names or labels?

If the current Administration, specifically its Department of Agriculture, is certain that acts of deception and unfair trade practices are committed by rice traders, will it not file the appropriate charges against concerned traders in courts?

If charges or suits will not be filed, we can reasonably expect that the same, or at least similar, deception and unfair trade practice will happen even in the era of “generic rice variety names.”

It is clear that the service the people expect from the government is not just lower rice prices but also protection from unscrupulous rice traders. Obviously these traders are no better than rice smugglers and other criminals in our society and the government needs to serve the Filipino people with a genuine brand of justice.