ROXAS TO PGMA ON RICE SITUATION: 'MAGPAKATOTOO TAYO'

Senator Mar Roxas rebuked the executive anew over its belittling of the rice crisis.

"Mrs. President, be a force for good by getting real. Magpakatotoo tayo. Mas mabuting sabihin na 'ito ang problema at solusyon,' kaysa sabihin na wala tayong problema pero tataas ang presyo ng bigas at iba pang bilihin," Roxas, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade and Commerce, said.

"The government is in denial. Merong krisis sa pagkain. Econ-101 'yan, tataas ang presyo kung mahigpit ang supply. Nasa P24-P26 na ang kilo ng regular na bigas mula noong P20-P22. Ito'y dahil nga sa kahigpitan ng supply," he said

"The government's statement is contradictory - While declaring that we have no rice shortage, PGMA said prices would increase. How can this be? If there is no shortage, why will prices go up? Is it now the policy of government to make retail prices go up? Is the government now admitting that there is hoarding and manipulation and that it is helpless?" he stressed.

Roxas, Liberal Party President, said such contradictory statements cut the government's credibility and reduce its ability to marshal resources, including voluntary civic action, in order to combat the shortage.

In the meantime, he pointed out that other government offices also have issued statements conflicting with the President's "no shortage" assessment:

• The DA has asked consumers to reduce their daily rice intake and urged fast-food chains to offer half-cup servings to consumers.

• The NFA hiked its 2008 planned rice importation to about 2 million metric tons from its original target of 1.2 million MT.

  • The NFA further admitted that our regular sources of supply, Vietnam and Thailand, now cannot commit to providing their usual volumes.

  • The NFA also announced it may avail of the East Asia Emergency Rice Reserve Protocol in order to secure additional supply.

Senator Roxas said holding a food summit to tackle the current rice shortage only adds insult to injury. "The oil summit came and went and we are stuck with even higher prices of oil with no relief in sight. Now, we have a food summit that would once again raise people's expectations for a day or two. Summitry for PR and photo-op purposes is not the solution to our problems."

The senator from the Visayas recommended the following immediate measures:

1. Immediately release the local government unit (LGU) calamity funds for the purpose of aiding the farmers with seeds, fertilizers and pesticides in order to ensure the next harvest is as plentiful as possible.

2. Direct the LGUs to establish a food security early warning mechanism, particularly in the barangays, to ensure targeted distribution of rice especially to children and the elderly.

3. Reactivate the peace process in insurgency areas to allow the unimpeded cultivation, planting, tending and harvesting of crops in these conflict areas.

4. Create special investigative and prosecutorial teams to run after hoarders, profiteers, members of the rice cartel as well as the corrupt elements in the NFA who have diverted the precious rice stocks from public outlets to private stores.

"These are measures that can be done immediately in partnership with Congress and the LGUs. For the long-term, the DA must step up its programs to aid our farmers and build a more efficient logistical supply chain that is not driven by middlemen," Roxas said.

"Ang paghahanap ng tamang solusyon ay nag-uumpisa sa tamang pagkilala sa problema. Kung sa inaakala ng gobyerno ay walang krisis, hindi magtutugma ang kilos at problema. Mahirap naman na may gangrene na yung sugat, pero band-aid pa rin ang solusyon," he said.