Palace reviews bill restoring NFA power to sell rice

MANILA, Philippines —  

House ways and means committee chairman and Albay Rep. Joey Salceda said it is up to the President whether to veto some of the provisions of the proposed measure.

The RTL or Republic Act 11203 removed the mandate of the NFA to sell rice in markets.

Enacted in 2019, the RTL allows unlimited entry of imported rice to the country in a bid to keep prices low due to increased supply.

NFA administrator Larry Lacson said Malacañang already sought the comment of their agency on the proposed amendments to RTL.

Under the proposed measure, the NFA will be allowed to sell its buffer stock to the public through Kadiwa outlets during food security emergency situations to help stabilize rice prices.

“I hope we will be allowed even for limited (volume). My estimate is between 16,000 and 20,000 metric tons a month. If I compute it, if it covers 1,600 municipalities and cities, that’s only 200 bags per month (for each municipality)… At least, the public can have an option to buy P38 (per kilo). Unlike now, we are pressured to bring down the retail price to P40 per kilo,” Lacson explained.

He noted that the NFA’s current stocks are pegged at 5,389,000 bags of rice.

“I already told (Agriculture) Secretary (Francisco) Tiu Laurel (Jr.) and he is in favor (of selling NFA rice in the markets) as it will free up our warehouses. Farmers are complaining that we stopped buying (palay) from them. We did not stop. Our problem is the warehouses, as our warehouses in certain areas are already full,” he explained.

Lacson noted that NFA rice is currently sold to the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Office of Civil Defense.

“For this year, despite the successive typhoons, we were able to release a total of 600,000 bags,” he said.

He added there will be healthy stock management of NFA rice once the agency’s function of selling rice to the public is restored.

Marcos has certified as urgent the proposed amendments to the RTL, citing the need for the government to have control over or influence the local rice market.

Another proposed amendment to the RTL seeks to increase the annual appropriation for the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund to P30 billion from the current P10 billion.

At least P9 billion of the P30 billion will be allocated for rice farm machinery and equipment; P6 billion for rice seed development, propagation and promotion and P15 billion for programs, activities and projects that will most effectively promote farmers’ productivity, supply resiliency and address food security emergency situations on rice.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Assistant Secretary and spokesman Arnel de Mesa maintained that the half-cup of rice should be an option for customers.

De Mesa was reacting to the statement of Restaurant Owners of the Philippines president Eric Teng who expressed concern about the actual execution of the half-cup rice serving, saying it may result in further wastage if the rice will not be sold.

“What we are pushing is to offer half-cup as an option. They may need to adjust in the beginning as from one cup rice, there will also be half-cup rice serving. I don’t think it will be a very big issue in terms of wastage as (customers) can consume half-cup,” he said at a press conference.

With at least P3.6 billion worth of rice wasted annually, Tiu Laurel is pushing for the revival of a proposed measure mandating restaurants, hotels, canteens and eateries to serve half-cup rice.

“Why will you order one cup (when you cannot eat the entire rice)? Actually, that’s the logic of the Philippine Rice Research Institute and the secretary,” De Mesa stressed.