Bigyang halaga ang sahod, ibaba ang presyo ng bigas: Kiko

A member of our staff went to the market yesterday. She said last year, her P2,000 could fill three eco bags that she, her husband, their two kids, and her mother-in-law would last them five to six days. Yesterday, all were complaining, even the vendors in the market, especially the ones in the vegetable and fish section. Her money seems to have no value. All their hard work as a couple doesn't seem to matter anymore.

The workers complain about the same thing. The Sentro labor group said the minimum wage for Metro Manila at P512 per day needs an additional P28 to cover last year's expenses.

What more our farmers and fisher folk who don't receive regular wage and are constantly ruined by typhoons?

When almost everyone is complaining, we really need to think of appropriate solutions so that the Filipino people can live a life of dignity. This is one of our immediate suggestions:

Focus on the price of rice.

If the price of rice goes up, the tendency is that the price of other goods goes up as well. Rice is a primary driver of inflation. And if the price of rice goes up, the result is hunger. Especially for our poor countrymen, 70% of their expenses goes to food, 30% of which is to rice. So if the price of rice goes up, they won't be able to eat three times a day.

Since the government, through the NFA, is the largest importer of rice, it should ensure that it buys at the lowest price the less than 10% of rice not produced by our farmers.