ANGARA TELLS GOVT: THE POOR SHOULD BENEFIT FROM NFA RICE

Senator Sonny Angara has called on authorities to ensure that the poorest consumers truly benefit from government-subsidized rice amid allegations of irregularities in the distribution of rice by the National Food Authority (NFA).

Based on the study by the Senate Economic Planning Office, the government policy of stabilizing price of rice--both for producers and consumers--has cost the government P45 billion in subsidy for the past 10 years.

"Napakalaking halaga na ang nagugol ng gobyerno sa subsidiya sa bigas. Sigurado ba tayo na ang pinakamahihirap nating kababayan na direktang nakikinabang dito?" said Angara, questioning the reported leakages and poor targeting of the agency.

The senator has filed a resolution seeking to look into the NFA's effectiveness in ensuring the food security of the country, and the stability of supply and price of the staple grain-rice.

Early this month, the NFA said it only has 64,000 metric tons or two days worth of buffer stock. The NFA is required to maintain a buffer stock of at least 15 days worth of consumption at any given time.

The NFA said it had decreased its distribution in the market and prioritized distributing stocks in calamity-prone areas and highly-depressed regions.

Given the low supply of NFA rice, the price of commercial rice has already increased by P3 to P5 per kilo in some areas.

Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol said, however, that the reported shortage in NFA stocks is being used "to justify the increase in the price of rice in the market" and the "additional importation of rice."

Piñol stated that there was no need to import rice because the country is 96% rice sufficient--with a record harvest of 19.4 million metric tons last year.

"Dapat ay batid ng publiko na walang nagaganap na rice shortage sa bansa. Ang ilang pagtaas ng presyo nito ay kagagawan lamang ng mga mapagsamantalang rice traders na kailangang panagutin ng gobyerno," Angara said.

"Rice is the most important staple food for every Filipino family. Dapat ay siguruhin na ang supply nito sa merkado ay sapat at abot-kaya lalo na ng ordinaryong mamamayan," he added.