Roque: Vietnam to sell affordable, quality rice to PHL

Vietnam on Friday made a commitment to the Philippines to sell affordable quality rice as the latter seeks to replenish its buffer stock.

President Rodrigo Duterte held a bilateral meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on the sidelines of the 32nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Singapore where both sides talked about the importance of preserving an ample rice supply.

"Nanindigan lang po ang Vietnam na tayo ay susuplayan ng bigas kung tayo ay nangangailangan at susuplayan na rin tayo sa mababang halaga at mabuting kalidad ng bigas at ang Presidente naman ay sumang ayon na ang quality naman talaga ng Vietnamese rice ay napakaganda," presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press briefing.

"Wala pa pong volume pero nanindigan po ang Vietnam na kung kinakailangan natin, bebentahan nila tayo ng bigas."

The meeting came hours after Thailand and Vietnam failed to meet the National Food Authority’s (NFA) reference price in the importation of 250,000 metric tons of rice, prompting the agency to ask for a resubmission of offers.

Roque said the development was not discussed during the bilateral meeting.

According to Roque, the Philippines looked forward to increasing trade and investments with Vietnam.

Nguyen also thanked Duterte for the humane treatment and release of Vietnamese fishermen who were caught poaching in Philippine waters.

Both leaders also stressed the need to continue working closely together to ensure security and stability in the region, including in the South China Sea.

Duterte assured his Vietnamese counterpart that the Philippines was not abandoning the decision of the United Nations-backed arbitral tribunal in 2016 that invalidated China's excessive claims in the disputed territory. — BAP, GMA News