Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares today questioned the reported planned importation of the National Food Authority (NFA) of 100,000 metric tons of rice from Vietnam. “Just last year Department of Agriculture Sec. Proceso Alcala boasted that the rice sufficiency target of the department for the year was 98% and it will further improve in the succeeding years. If this is so then why are we importing still?” asked Senior Deputy Minority Leader Colmenares. “We believe that it would be better for our agriculture particularly our local farmers if we allocate the budget for these rice imports to our local peasants. Bakit mga Vietnamese o Thai farmers pa ang makikinabang sa pondo natin?Dapat mga Filipinong magsasaka ang makinabang ditto. Kesa bayaran ng gobyerno ng bilyon bilyon ang mga Vietnamese na magsasaka, Ibuhos na lang ang perang ito sa ating magsasaka malaki pa maitulong nito sa ating agrikultura,” said the progressive solon.
It can be remembered last year that the issue of rice overpricing and rice importation anomalies came to the fore and was investigated by Congress. Colmenares lamented that it was Pres. Aquino’s announcement during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) last year authorizing the importation of 500,000 metric tons of rice was the cause of the spike in rice prices. His announcement effectively jacked up world market price of rice by $15 a ton because it projected a steep climb in rice demand. This announcement also jacked up local commercial rice prices by P2-3 per kilo. With the supposed NFA 1 billion probe, as early as February last year the Makabayan bloc warned that the country will again be reeling from the “sabotaging economic effects” of unchecked overpriced rice importation as the NFA has again decided to import rice for the July-September buffer stock.
“Pres. Aquino should explain in his next SONA whatever happened to his promise of rice self-sufficiency during his term. Also with the importation anomalies revealed last year, I hope that the new NFA administration has done its homework and addressed these problems. As it is though we will continue to monitor the price of rice and its effect on the Filipino people,” ended Rep.Colmenares
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