The House of Representatives is eyeing the revival of the quinta-committee--also known as the Murang Pagkain Supercommittee--as it commits to help bring down food prices in the 20th Congress.

Thus said Iloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin, previously a deputy majority leader, as the new Congress convened on Monday, July 28.

Garin welcomed the recent Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) report, which said food inflation rate fell by half from 8 percent in 2023 to 4.5 percent in 2024.

“That is good news,” said Garin. However, this will not stop the lower chamber from pursuing initiatives to pull it down further, she added.

She said her colleagues at the House will pursue their advocacy through the quinta-comm that was created in the previous Congress upon the suggestion of then-Speaker, Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez.

“Naniniwala kami na siguradong mananalo as Speaker of the 20th Congress si Cong. Martin Romualdez. Kaya nga pinu-push ulit ‘yung Murang Pagkain Super Committee, the quinta-comm, which was geared to address areas kung saan nagiging mahal yung pagkain (We believe that Rep. Romualdez will be the Speaker of the 20th Congress again. That's why we're pushing to revive the Murang Pagkain Super Committee, the quinta-comm, which was geared to address areas where food prices are high),” she added.

She pointed out that while the mega panel had discovered that the landed cost of imported rice was P33 to P35, the staple food was selling at P60 per kilo. This sparked suspicions of profiteering from middlemen and traders.

“Nakikita natin iyon sa bigas iimbestigahan sya eh yung landing cost 33 pesos to 35 pesos. Sa dami ng mga gastusin at logistics pinakamahal na siguro ibenta mo yan 43 to 45 pero umaabot ng 60 pesos kasi nga ang daming scrupulous middlemen in between (It's already under investigation how rice prices ended up at 60 pesos per kilo despite having landed costs of 33 to 35 pesos and a suggested price of 45 pesos),” she stressed.

"And this will be revived in the 20th Congress, and it will not only address rice, it will address itlog, tubig, at lahat pa ng commodities. So kaya talagang pababain ang presyo ng pagkain (it will address egg, water and other commodities' prices. So we can really lower the food cost),” Garin said.

She suggested that people should also plant vegetables in their backyard. She says this is now one of the requirements for an individual to qualify for the Ayuda Para sa Kapos ang Kita (AKAP) program.

“That is why, again, AKAP is very important, kasi iyon yung pantawid na nung ating ibang minimum wage earners (that's how minimum wage earners make do),” she said.