Aquino to meet with Cabinet on food supply, prices

MANILA, Philippines -  President Aquino is meeting his Cabinet next week to discuss ways to cushion the impact of the political tension in the Middle East on the prices of basic commodities.  

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Aquino will meet with Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala Jr., Budget Secretary Florencio Abad and National Food Authority administrator Lito Banayo to discuss concerns on the country’s food supply.   

Lacierda said that while there is no food crisis yet, the government wants to put contingency measures in place.    

He said the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is monitoring price movements and sees no reason for the price increases.

“(The) DTI is on top of that, in fact, they are monitoring the prices and that’s the basis for saying that there is no reason to increase the prices right now,” he said.