AVOIDING SPECULATIONS. Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei B. Nograles says on Tuesday (Nov. 19, 2019) the government does not want to start a discussion on the suspension of the Rice Tariffication Law because it might result in speculation. However, local government units are encouraged to buy directly the palay from farmers and skip the middlemen. (PNA photo by Perla G. Lena)
ILOILO CITY -- Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei B. Nograles said on Tuesday the government does not want to talk about the suspension of the Rice Tariffication Law because it will bring about speculations.
In an interview on the sidelines of the ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and Deed of Donation and Acceptance (DODA) for the "Yolanda" housing project in Iloilo City, Nograles said suspending it means asking the Congress to amend the law.
“Right now, we don’t want to talk of suspending the Rice Tariffication Law because once you start talking about suspension, prices of rice will change. Usually that is the reflex action, especially traders. We don’t even want to talk about that because there would be speculations,” he said.
Citing the pronouncement of President Rodrigo Duterte, he said what is needed is for national government agencies (NGAs) and local government units (LGUs) to directly acquire the palay from farmers.
“We skip the middleman because that is the only way we can directly support our farmers. We buy directly from them,” he added.
He said the national government will also be buying directly from farmers to be used for feeding program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Education (DepEd), government hospitals, jail facilities, and for the rice subsidy of the conditional cash transfer (CCT) program.
“Congress will soon approve the amendment in our 2019 budget that will enable DSWD [to provide] the rice allowance for CCT beneficiaries,” he said. (PNA)
