Senator Bam Aquino urged the government to ensure that the imported rice purchased by the National Food Authority will go to its intended beneficiaries to guarantee a steady supply of affordable rice in the market.
“Our countrymen have been drowning in high prices of rice for more than a year now. Now, we must ensure that we will have cheaper rice in the weeks to come.”
The NFA earlier said it expects prices of rice to lower with the arrival of the first tranche of imported rice, which will be distributed to provinces in Luzon and Mindanao. The rice has two varieties, priced at P27 and P32 per kilo.
The 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 of last year.
During a Senate hearing, NFA administrator Jason Aquino admitted that the agency failed to comply with the 15-day buffer stock policy for almost one year.
Aquino said NFA’s inefficiency resulted in the increase in prices of commercial rice, forcing Filipino families to spend more for their staple food.
But even with the arrival of imported NFA rice, Aquino insisted that the NFA administrator should resign to avoid a repeat of last year’s debacle.
Also, Aquino said he is worried that the imported NFA rice could land in the hands of traders who will sell it for a higher price.
“Now that rice had arrived, it might just go to the buffer stock in the hands of traders,” the senator said.
This was also the concern raised by Senator Kiko Pangilinan who said that with the arrival in the market of rice imported by the NFA, the government should ensure that affordable rice reaches the intended areas for the benefit of the low-income sector.
This early, the NFA has appealed to the public against hoarding to allow other consumers to buy the cheap rice.
He said authorities should also be on guard against possible illegal diversion and repacking of rice to be sold to the commercial market at higher prices. The quantity of the imported grains has certainly made hoarders and profiteers on the lookout anew for their illegal activities.
Pangilinan said that the manipulation of rice stocks results in lack of supply, higher prices, and hungry Filipinos.
He added that 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 the conduct of raids and inspection of rice warehouses.
“Instead of going after the ‘tambays,’ the PNP would have better use for its force by guarding the Filipino’s staple food to make sure that they are available in the market at prices affordable to ordinary Filipinos,” Pangilinan said.