Press Release
April 22, 2008

Villar: Rice distribution must be "politics-free"

Government's plan to directly distribute subsidized rice to the poor should be "politics- free", Senate President Manny Villar said today.

"I hope that when government officials say they will undertake a targeted distribution of rice they don't mean to target less rice for opposition bailiwicks, "he said.

"To help the poor, and never politics, should be the sole determinant in the allocation of NFA rice, "he said.

"There should only be one rule that must be followed: Those who have less in life, should have more NFA rice, "Villar said.

In the allocation of "rice access cards," the candidate beneficiary's "income standing" should be the only that must be evaluated, "and not the membership card to a political party that he carries in his wallet," Villar said.

He said the Department of Social Welfare and Development should be left alone in drawing up the "poverty map" that will guide rice distribution.

One tool that can help DSWD in its mapping work , Villar said, are the results of the recent Family Income and Expenditure Survey or FIES, the recent edition of which showed 12.2 million Filipinos as being "too poor to buy enough food ."

But while the DSWD should be shielded from political interference, "the agency must also reach out to local government leaders as they would know where the poor are," Villar said.

Villar also urged the participation of Church, faith-based groups and well-meaning civic organizations as they can ensure that the list of beneficiaries "will be done fairly and that the distribution will be done without favoritism. "

"What we don't want to happen is for rice cards to end up as prepaid votes for the next elections, "he said.

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