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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Prices of rice won't go the way of onions, Romualdez vows

Prices of rice won't go the way of onions, Romualdez vows

Published Aug 27, 2023 05:50 am

At A Glance

  • House Speaker Martin Romualdez vowed to Filipino consumers on Sunday, Aug. 27 that the absurd onion price surge late last year won't happen to rice. 

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House Speaker Martin Romualdez (center) inspects a rice warehouse in Bulacan (Speaker’s office)

 

 

 

 

 

 

House Speaker Martin Romualdez vowed to Filipino consumers on Sunday, Aug. 27 that the absurd onion price surge late last year won't happen to rice. 

"Shame on us, the officials in government, if we let that happen again, especially to our staple food," Romualdez said in a statement. 

The Leyte 1st district congressman was referring to the runaway prices of onions late last year wherein the commodity was sold at over P700 per kilo. This meant that at that time, onions were even more expensive than meat. 

"Thanks to the hearings in aid of legislation led by Cong Enverga, we already know exactly how a cartel works. Pipigilan natin sila, hindi natin sila hahayaang makapuntos muli (We will stop them, we won't let them score again)," the Speaker said. 

For the past few weeks, the price of rice has been steadily rising with retailers selling at P50 to P62 per kilogram in Metro Manila. If left unaddressed, it is projected to reach P60 to P65 in the coming days. 

Romualdez said he agrees with the remark of House Committee on Agriculture and Food chairman, Quezon 1st district Rep. Wilfrido Mark Enverga that "Rice hoarding is economic sabotage in its highest degree." 

"Lahat ng Pilipino kumakain ng kanin. Kung may matapon o masayang na kahit kaunting bigas sa pagsasaing, nanghihinayang tayo. Kaya napakasakit at nakakapanggalit talaga itong ginagawa ng mga rice hoarders," the Leyte 1st district congressman said. 

(Every Filipino eats rice. It pains us to see grains of rice wasted whenever we cook it. That's why what these rice hoarders are doing is truly hurtful and infuriating.) 

Last February, Romualdez ordered the Enverga panel to investigate, in aid of legislation, the high prices of onions during the fourth quarter of 2022. The committee has since unmasked the alleged cartel members and exposed their profiteering scheme, which involves hoarding, price manipulation, and Industry-wide collusion. 

Last Aug. 24, a joint contingent from the House of Representatives and Bureau of Customs (BOC) led by Romualdez and Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio, respectively, swooped down at warehouses in Bulacan and found over 200 sacks of rice that was seemingly being purposely held. 

Romualdez stressed that the discovered supply of rice should be released to the local market in order to mitigate the rising prices of the staple grain. 

Related Tags

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