CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- Sen. Cynthia Villar sternly warned commercial rice retailers from taking advantage of the temporary short supply of rice from the National Food Authority (NFA).
Villar, chair of the Senate committee on agriculture, issued the warning during a speech before delegates of the two-day 27th National Hog Convention here Wednesday.
"There is no rice shortage in the country," the lady senator clarified, "only that the cheaper NFA rice stocks had run out."
Villar said the country's free market policy should never be exploited by illegal price increases.
"Wala namang rice shortage dyan, marami namang commercial rice varieties available," she said.
Villar said that per 2017 record, the yearly consumption of Filipinos stands at 11.8 million metric tons, which remains lower than the 12.5 million metric tons of palay produced that year in the country.
She also took time to commend the local price coordinating councils such as those in Cagayan de Oro City that initiated immediate steps in inspecting commercial rice retailers from engaging in unfair business practices.
The senator said that the government must watch out for retailers hoarding high-end rice varieties and selling them at a higher price once the whole NFA stock runs out, which is expected to be next week.
Earlier, City Price Coordinating Council chair Jose Edgardo Uy said they are also on alert for retailers mixing Class B and Class A rice varieties and selling them at a higher price.
Uy said violators would be penalized according to the law. (Mark D. Francisco/PNA)
