MANILA, Philippines -- While a small crowd was beginning to form inside the National Food Authority (NFA) warehouse to buy a kilo of NFA rice for P18.25, another group was sitting outside the gates of the warehouse eating instant noodles.

The group, composed of around 20 youths, was protesting the rising prices of rice amid an alleged looming shortage.

The group, led by militant group Youth Revolt, held a noise barrage and ate instant noodles in front of the NFA-NCR (National Capital Region) warehouse at the corner of Visayas Avenue and Elliptical Road in Quezon City at 10 a.m. on Friday.

The group had no permit to rally and even NFA security personnel were surprised upon the youth?s arrival. The NFA warehouse closed its gates to prevent protesters from entering the premises.

?Wala namang rice shortage eh. Ano kinakatakot nila [There is no rice shortage. What are they afraid of]?? asked an NFA personnel who refuse to be named.

Andreb Asido, spokesman of Kadamay-NCR, said the poor were the victims.

?Sa Tondo at sa ibang lugar sa Manila kinakain nila ang mga tira-tira ng Jollibee at iba pa na napupulot nila sa basura [In Tondo and in other areas in Manila, they are eating leftovers from Jollibee and others that they might find in garbage],? he said.

But Rex Estoperez, NFA spokesman, denied that there was a shortage although he admitted that there was a need to import rice to support the increasing population.

Estoperez said the government would have to import 2.1 metric tons of rice this year, compared to the 1.85 metric tons last year.

Estoperez said the problem of higher prices was a ?global phenomenon? brought about by the increasing oil prices in the world market and global warming, affecting basic commodities like rice.