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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider House to hold briefing on rice supply as retail prices climb

House to hold briefing on rice supply as retail prices climb

Published Aug 15, 2023 09:56 am

At A Glance

  • Amid the apparent surge in local retail prices of rice, the House Committee on Agriculture and Food will conduct a briefing Wednesday, Aug. 16 on the rice production and supply situation in the country. 

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House Speaker Martin Romualdez (center) gets accompanied by Deputy Majority Leader ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo (left) during his surpise market inspections. (Facebook)

Amid the apparent surge in local retail prices of rice, the House Committee on Agriculture and Food will conduct a briefing Wednesday, Aug. 16 on the rice production and supply situation in the country.

The Quezon 1st district Rep. Wilfrido Mark Enverga-led panel will start its briefing at 9:30 a.m.

The briefing was announced a day after House Speaker Martin Romualdez led surprise inspections at Nepa Q-Mart and Commonwealth market in Quezon City wherein checked prices of onions and rice.

Although it's technically listed as a committee "briefing" and not a full-blown hearing like the House's previous hearings on onion hoarding, it is expected to follow a similar tone. It's because Romualdez said so himself on Tuesday.

"Oo, [ipapatawag natin ang mga suspected hoarders] kagaya nung ano, nung nakaraang inquiry natin sa sibuyas, sa bawang (Yes, we will invite the suspected hoarders like what we did during our inquiry on onion, garlic)," Romualdez, leader of the 312-strong House of Representatives, said in a chance interview.

The Leyte 1st district congressman said the House will ask the stakeholders whether or not they are with them in terms of keeping rice prices down.

"Kakausapin natin lahat, sabihin natin sa lahat, kung magiging bahagi kayo ng solusyon dito, sama-sama tayo (We will talk to all of them, we will tell them that if they're part of the solution, then we shall unite).

"Kung kokontra kayo or kayo ang magho-hoard at nanloloko kayo, bantay kayo di ba (But if you're against us and would instead hoard and deceive the people, then we have our eyes on you)," Romualdez said.

In the House agriculture panel's onion hoarding probe, the lawmakers were able to unmask then alleged personalities behind the well-organized cartel that caused the prices of the commodity to shoot up to over P700 a kilo.

Over in the Senate, Senator Cynthia Villar, the chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform, believes that there's actually no rice supply shortage despite its climbing prices.

"There's no rice shortage; it is price manipulation," Villar said.

Rice is the staple food of Filipinos. Deputy Majority Leader ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo accompanied Romualdez during his surpise market inspections.

Related Tags

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