Rice prices soar: P40 per kilo in Quezon province

MANILA, Philippines - Fears of many people were realized in Quezon province Tuesday where prices of rice went up to as high as P40 a kilo and the lowest-priced rice selling for P32 a kilo. Radio dzRH reported Tuesday morning that rice dealers at the Agora Market in Lucena City justified the increase saying rice millers had to raise their prices because they are now buying palay at P18 per kilo instead of the previous P11 per kilo. Last month, they said the lowest price of rice had gone up from P19 per kilo to P27 per kilo. Meanwhile, the National Food Authority (NFA) in Pampanga province has started selling "almost-expired" rice to local businessmen at P18.25 a kilo. But radio dwIZ reported that provincial manager Elvira Obaña stressed the rice was to be sold as animal feed and is not for human consumption. Still, the report said local residents suspect local businessmen will sell the rice at a profit. For its part, the Catholic Church and the Department of Agriculture and NFA may enter into terms of collaboration for the distribution of rice. Agriculture Sec. Arthur Yap is eyeing the network of the National Secretariat of Social Action (NASSA) to bring quality and affordable rice to where it is most needed. NASSA executive director Sister Rosanne Malillin said the government proposed to the Catholic Church to enter into a partnership to assure everyone of steady rice supply pegged at P18.25 per kilo. She said this is one alternative the government has carefully studied as a number of Tindahan Natin stores' licenses were revoked. "We will just identify the parishes that would welcome this kind of idea and find out if they are willing to lend space for rice distribution," Malillin was quoted as saying in an article posted on the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines website. A meeting between NASSA and Yap was originally scheduled Tuesday but had to be postponed. Malilim said "there's no rice crisis" attesting to what she found in her recent trips to Cagayan, in Luzon, Bicol in Southern Luzon and General Santos in Southern Mindanao. She said she saw farmers harvesting their crops and "probably, some people have seriously projected how much money would make by increasing prices of rice." She further described the abrupt increase in rice prices as "unreasonable." - GMANews.TV