House Speaker Martin Romualdez (Speaker’s office)

House Speaker Martin Romualdez hailed the Department of Agriculture (DA) on Sunday, Aug. 13 for swiftly opening up discussions with Vietnam and India to ensure adequate supply of rice for Filipinos at affordable prices. 

Romualdez was referring to the announcement of DA Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban that some Vietnamese exporters are offering rice prices that are $30 or $40 lower than before. 

This, as President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., the concurrent DA chief, tasked the agency to start talks with Vietnam. 

Apart from Vietnam, Panganiban said the Philippine government is also working with India to discuss the possibility of selling to the Philippines their rice on humanitarian grounds, despite its recent ban on all rice exports. Rice is the staple food of Filipinos. 

"I commend the Department of Agriculture's quick response to our efforts in securing a stable and affordable rice supply for our country. This is a significant step toward fulfilling our commitment to the Filipino to put food on their tables at prices within their reach,” Romualdez said in a statement. 

It could be recalled that during Romualdez’s bilateral meeting with the President of the National Assembly of Vietnam, Vuong Dinh Hue, in Indonesia last week, the latter gave assurance that Vietnam would provide the Philippines with a stable supply of rice at affordable prices. 

“With the current volatility in the price of rice in the world market amid projected supply constriction, the government must waste no time exploring all available options to ensure adequate supply and reasonable price of our staple food," stressed Romualdez, Leyte's 1st district congressman and leader of the 312-strong House of Representatives. 

Panganiban said the negotiations with Vietnam and India could pave the way for the country to get better terms for the 300,000 to 500,000 metric tons (MT) of rice it needs to import this year. 

As these discussions progress, Romualdez emphasized the importance of maintaining transparent and open communication between friendly countries to foster a stronger partnership. 

"Open dialogue and cooperation are key to ensuring the success of this endeavor. I look forward to the positive outcomes that will arise from these talks, as we work together for mutually beneficial arrangements to achieve food security and stability," he added.

Rice self-sufficiency is key 

For his part AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee said that the Philippines should focus on improving its rice self-sufficiency. 

"While we thank Vietnam for the assurance that there will be a steady supply of rice to the Philippines, the export policies of other nations are beyond our control and we cannot predict when these will change. Isang halimbawa nito ang desisyon ng India noong nakaraang buwan na itigil ang pag-export ng bigas (An example of this was when India decided last month to stop exporting rice)," Lee said. 

"As such, the best solution to shield ourselves from unpredictable export policies is for us to ensure our farmers are fully supported by our laws, programs, and policies to be able to plant and harvest rice," said the neophyte solon. 

Lee says that food security is a key component of national security, and that inadequate access to food could trigger social unrest.