Watchdog refutes DA’s claim of lower rice price

MANILA, Philippines —  Consumer watchdog Bantay Bigas yesterday refuted a claim of the Department of Agriculture (DA) that the retail price of rice has started to go down.

The group said the P45 per kilo rice that the DA has been citing is no longer available in the market.

“The retail price of rice remains high. The prevailing price of rice in the market was still P50 (per kilo) and higher,” Bantay Bigas spokesperson Cathy Estavillo told The STAR yesterday.

“We saw the P45 (a kilo of rice) two weeks ago, but on Sept. 8 it was no longer available. Retailers said the price drop was intended for premium rice only,” Estavillo said.

She said ordinary people could not afford the cost of the premium rice.

The wathdog said the retail price of rice in Sorsogon reached P65 per kilo.

“It’s P65 per kilo if bought in cash and P70 on credit,” Estavillo said.

She said the 15 percent tariff on imported rice as provided under Executive Order 62 did not help bring down the retail price of the commodity.

Based on the monitoring of the DA in Metro Manila markets, the retail price of local regular milled rice ranged between P45 and P51 per kilo, local well-milled rice between P47 and P55, and premium rice between P47 and P55 per kilo.

Special rice is sold at P60 per kilo.