ROXAS FILES FOOD TRANSPARENCY BILL
PEOPLE MUST BE INFORMED OF RICE AND CORN TRANSACTIONS

Senator Mar Roxas today filed Senate Bill 2161 seeking transparency in all government transactions involving food and basic commodities, especially rice and corn.

He said part of the people's basic right of access to adequate and affordable food is giving full access to information on the same, including supply, production and imports, prices, and other factors and risks.

"It is the government's responsibility to ensure that there is food for all. In relation to this, it must let the people know at all times about the state of food in the country," the Chairman of the Senate Trade and Commerce Committee said.

"The best deterrence to collusion, profiteering and other abuses by government or private persons is transparency," he added.

"Mahalaga ang impormasyong ito, dahil ito ang tutulong sa mga pamilya sa pagba-budget ng kanilang pang-araw-araw na pangangailangan, o tutulong sa gobyerno mismo para supilin ang mga pang-aabuso sa merkado (This information is important to help families in budgeting their daily needs, and to help the government against abuses in the market)," he stressed.

Roxas, Liberal Party President, said this bill will help institute good governance in all government actions and transactions in relation to food and basic commodities, and would also help the government in targeting food distribution and soliciting private sector help in improving food security.

"Nasa interes ng bawat Pilipino ang pagkain, at hindi dapat nasasaklaw ng executive privilege ang impormasyon ukol dito. (Food is in the interest of every Filipino, and any information about it should not be subject to executive privilege," he added.

Senate Bill No. 2161, the proposed "Affordable Food Transparency Act," mandates the publication by DA of all rice, corn and sugar import permits, including: names and addresses of importers and suppliers; countries of origin; dates of contract and arrival of imports and other specifications; contract price and modes of purchase; among others.

It also requires the dissemination of any and all significant information that affect food supply and prices, through print and electronic publication. It also mandates the disclosure of any information about the existence of a factor or risk to food security.

It also requires pertinent government agencies, particularly the DA and DTI and their sub-units, to comply with written requests for any information, records or documents within two working days, under pain of penalty.

The bill also allows every denial of any request, in whole or in part, due to reasons of privacy, national security, diplomatic relations, trade secrets and others, to be appealed before the Office of the Ombudsman.