Ilang mambabatas, kinuwestyon ang pananatiling mataas na presyo ng bigas; Rep. Tulfo, inirekomendang ibalik ang kapangyarihan ng NFA na makapagbenta muli ng murang bigas
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00:00 Their recommendations were given by some lawmakers
00:04 amid the problems of high prices of rice.
00:07 Here is the report.
00:09 Interpellation on how to improve the Rice Tarification Law is still in progress.
00:17 Congressman Stella Kimbo asked the rice supply.
00:21 How long has it been?
00:23 How many months has our price increase been sustained?
00:27 Is the supply not enough?
00:28 This is the only time in March that the highest price of rice has been recorded
00:32 in 15 years.
00:35 The Department of Agriculture explained.
00:37 Because we are liberalized,
00:40 global prices are also translated to domestic.
00:43 It is not prohibited for our traders to profit,
00:48 but they also benchmark their prices on global prices.
00:53 So in short, traders...
00:55 Under the Rice Tarification Law,
00:58 there is no limitation on the supply of rice.
01:01 The regulatory function or power of the National Food Authority
01:07 to know the price of rice was also removed.
01:10 The problem here is...
01:12 If they can make money, they import a lot.
01:14 If not, they don't care whether there's a shortage or not
01:18 because it doesn't give them any money.
01:20 So there's no food security.
01:22 Deputy Majority Leader Congressman Erwin Tulfo said,
01:27 The NFA should return the sale of rice to the markets.
01:31 The NFA or the government in general should be given the power to compete with those cartels.
01:37 It is also being argued that the purchase of imported rice
01:42 is a buffer for the NFA.
01:44 The placement of buffers is usually done
01:47 to avoid speculation that there is a shortage of rice in the supply
01:52 which is the main reason for the price to rise.
01:55 This is only done during a crisis
01:58 when there is a severe shortage or an extraordinary price increase.
02:04 A provision in the RTL was also amended
02:07 which is expected to be implemented in 2025.
02:11 The implementation of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund
02:16 which provides 10 billion pesos in funds per year
02:20 for the distribution of free machinery, rice, loans and employment to farmers.
02:27 The fund of the RCEF is the highest at 15 billion pesos
02:31 to provide free abonos to farmers.
02:35 Flexibility is also being promoted to the RCEF
02:38 to be used as financial aid to farmers during a crisis.
02:43 But House Deputy Minority Leader Franz Castro
02:47 just wanted to make the RTL a buffer.
02:50 She just wanted to increase the price of rice
02:53 while the imported rice is being affected.
02:56 A large part of the stores are imported
03:00 and the expensive ones.
03:02 Well, this has become a fruit.
03:04 We have surpassed China in importing rice.
03:08 Even if the amendment to the RTL is successful,
03:12 it should be effective to increase the production of rice
03:17 so that farmers can earn a good income and reduce the price of rice.
03:22 Khalei Zalpar Dillia for Pabansang TV in Bagong, Philippines.