NFA denies presence; gov’t agencies to probe
After the fake news, stories about fake rice have also reached Cebu recently.
Some residents of Santa Fe in Bantayan Island posted on Facebook having received fake rice in exchange of P1,200 of the Modified Conditional Cash Transfer (MCCT) from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
One Christine Ilustrisimo said in her Facebook page that her kids felt something wrong in their stomach when they ate the rice cooked by her younger child.
“Unsa ni nga klase nga bugas ang gibaligya sa taga DSWD dre sa Santa Fe mga taga 4P’s og MCCT (1200 pa kaayo ang budget para pambugas) tag-48 pesos/kl. Pa kaayu nga bugas!!! Morag hangin lng ka ophag lutuon,” posted one Jay-r Kise Alarde.
There were also reports that some who ate the rice have suffered diarrhea.
Santa Fe Mayor Jose Esgana, in a statement, understands that posting on social media on the proliferation of fake rice sent their people to panic.
“The Local Government Unit thru Office of the Mayor is currently validating these reports,” read the statement.
Esgana urged Santa Fehanons to report to concerned offices or his office in order to formalize their complaints so that appropriate action could be taken.
"We cannot act based on reports that we read on Facebook only. We can only verify," Esgana added.
As of yesterday afternoon, the municipal government has reported two cases of diarrhea in the Rural Health Unit but it was not confirmed yet if the kids aged four and two, respectively, have eaten the said rice.
The health personnel are also getting samples of rice to be submitted to the Food and Drug Administration for checking.
Cebu Vice Governor Agnes Magpale, for her part, said the incident will still undergo investigation even if the National Food Authority (NFA) has already denied the presence of fake rice in the market.
Magpale said that fake rice is impossible because it will reportedly cost you more to make because the materials needed are more expensive compared to the genuine rice planted from the rice fields.
Despite this, the vice governor still wanted to call the person in-charge in Sta. Fe to ask for a report and samples of the fake rice.
“Gi-deny naman gyod na sa NFA but still we want to see samples. Manawag ko karon og mangayo ko og samples,” Magpale said.
The NFA had assured the public that there is no proof that fake rice is being sold in the Philippine market at present.
The NFA management, in a statement, has instructed its field offices to further heighten their monitoring activities and seek out people complaining about alleged fake rice in their respective areas.
"We have instructed our field personnel to go directly to the people who claim that they have purchased what they suspect as fake rice and get samples, rather than wait for them to come to our offices to file a complaint or bring samples,” NFA administrator Jason LaureanoY. Aquino, said in a statement.
NFA-7 Information Officer Olma Bayno, in a separate interview, said that they are now instructing their counterparts in Sante Fe to check on the veracity of reports about the presence of "fake rice."
She also urged the public to report to their office immediately about suspected fake rice in order for them to act on the matter so that samples will be examine through a laboratory test.
Aquino also warned that NFA shall deal with those who are intentionally causing alarm among consumers by spreading wrong information.
"We are warning these people to refrain from causing panic among our consumers because it is a criminal act punishable under our laws,” he said.
The public is also being encouraged to be vigilant and report to NFA observations about any unusual features in the rice that they buy, in terms of appearance, smell or taste, so that the agency can send enforcement agents to the source of the stocks and samples can be taken for laboratory analysis by the agency’s Food Development Center.
Two years ago, a report on alleged fake rice in Davao City also caused panic among consumers.
Tests on the sample given involved multiple agencies and results proved that the strange appearance of the reported "fake rice" was only due to a “retrogradation process” involving a series of freezing, thawing, and heating.
Retograded rice can be termed as "stale rice" or “panis na kanin.”
When buying raw rice, consumers should make sure that they buy only from retailers accredited by the NFA or from their “suki,” rather than from vendors they do not know or trust. An NFA accredited store displays the trader’s full name and license number.
If the grains are uniformly-sized, there’s a chance they may have been made by a machine. All rice grains have a chalky dot or scar at the tip of the kernel where the germ or embryo was removed. It looks like a small groove at the tip of each grain of rice.
Aside from the appearance, consumers should also be aware of the smell of rice. If it smells anything like plastic or any synthetic material, it should be subjected to laboratory analysis to ascertain the composition of the “grain.”
For cooked rice, consumers must also make sure it does not smell unusual. There should be no foam like substance left on top of the rice when cooked.
If one feels ill from eating any suspected fake rice, it is best to see a doctor immediately, the NFA further said.
DSWD-7 Information Officer Leah Quintana told THE FREEMAN yesterday that they received a verbal complaint earlier in the morning through their public assistance hotline.
Some of the locals, claiming to be Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries, reported that the rice they consumed had caused them stomach pain.
The residents concluded the rice was fake, after noticing differences from the usual rice they eat.
Quintana said the agency immediately sent a grievance focal person to the town to hold an investigation after sounding an alarm to its provincial link and various clusters.
Quintana said the agency expects for a report by Friday, June 23.