MANILA, Philippines -- The United States government is mulling the idea of funding rice research efforts in the Philippines to help ensure food security in the long term, according to the US Embassy in Manila.

US Ambassador Kristie Kenney said on Tuesday that Washington had yet to name nations prioritized for its global food aid package, but the US government was thinking of funding efforts of the Laguna-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

She disclosed that the US Embassy in Manila had yet to be informed of nations qualified for Washington's $200-million global food aid.

“We don't have the details yet. So I can't tell you where it's gonna go or how it's gonna be apportioned,” Kenney told the Philippine Daily Inquirer at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Tuesday.

“I have to say, looking at it closely, I suspect it will start first with the poorest of the poor nations, which very fortunately the Philippines is not. You know, the African nations where people are literally going to starve. But we're gonna see how it will unfold,” she added.

“You know in the meantime, the Philippines is doing a lot of things with us with research, which is longer term but very important. And the President's (US President George W. Bush's) release talks about that and I'm hoping we'll get some more of that funds out here to contribute to research for IRRI,” she said.

The United States Agency for International Development had the task of setting Washington's priorities for the aid program and shall identify countries where the dollars would go, Kenney said.

“They'll be looking at that in the next several days, then we'll have some more clarity. But I'm sure, from what I understood, the President's intent is that the first recipients will be the very poorest of the poor nations in the world,” she said on the sidelines of Tuesday's maiden flight of US carrier Hawaiian Airlines.

She added: “I'm happy that the Philippines is not the poorest of the poor nations in the world so I think we'll look at the situation as it evolves and continue working with the Philippines, which is now taking advantage of the US as a reliable rice exporter and Philippine farmers are stepping up production."

Kenney earlier promised US support by ensuring a steady flow of rice exports to the Philippines, currently under the grip of a supply and price crisis.