Progressive women group GABRIELA trooped to the Department of Agriculture (DA) on Monday, Sept. 11, to amplify calls against the increasing price of rice.

President Marcos, who is also the Agriculture Secretary, has set a price cap on rice amounting to P41 to P45.
"Price cap na P30 hanggang P37.40 kada kilo ng bigas, ‘yan ang kahit papaano’y abot-kayang presyo na kagyat dapat na solusyon sa pagsirit ng presyo ng bigas. At kasabay rin dapat ng price ceiling ang seryosong imbestigasyon sa mas malalim na dahilan ng rice crisis sa isang bansang agrikultural gaya ng Pilipinas (Price cap of P30 to P37.40 per kilo of rice is the almost affordable price which should be the solution for the price hike in rice. And along with the price ceiling should be the serious investigation on the deeper reason of rice crisis in an agricultural country like the Phililpines)," said GABRIELA Deputy-Secretary General Rose Bihag.
On Aug. 29, President Marcos ordered the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to intensify the investigation in rice warehouses to fight against hoarding before setting a price ceiling of P41 per kilogram for regular-milled rice and P45 for well-milled rice under Executive Order 39 imposed last Sept. 5.
For GABRIELA, P41 to P45 per kilo of rice is too expensive. It is pushing for the rice to be reduced to P35 per kilo. (Lizst Torres Abello)