MANILA, Philippines?President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered officials to flood typhoon-hit areas with the cheap government-subsidized rice that would be sold at no more than P35 pesos per kilo.

The President issued the order to officials of the Department of Agriculture and the National Food Authority (NFA) in a video conference from Washington D.C. early dawn Wednesday amid reports that devastation on agriculture and fisheries from Typhoon Frank (international codename: Fengshen) could reach up to P4 billion.

"I think the more immediate need now is rice. Did you catch any hoarder, how much is it now?" she asked during the conference with Cabinet officials and the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC).

Agriculture Undersecretary Jesus Emmanuel Paras reported to the President that rice in Iloilo, one of the hardest hit provinces, has gone up from P35 a kilo to P38.50.

"You remember our meeting in the price council, they said that P25 to P35 a kilo is tolerable, above P35 is not tolerable, so you have to do something about it," Arroyo said.

To ease the burden of the typhoon victims, Arroyo said cheap rice should be readily available to them.

"You have to flood the market (with cheap rice)," she added.

Telling it in his own words, Vice President Noli de Castro added, "We will flood the market not with water, but with rice."

"Exactly Noli, well said," Arroyo said.

Paras said NFA administrator Jessup Navarro is in Iloilo to check on the rice situation and ensure ample supply of the grains.

Aside from the P18.25-per-kilo rice, the NFA has released the P25- and P35-per-kilo variety, which was part of a shipment from Thailand that was of high quality and, naturally, more costly.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap had said the high-grade rice was made available early this month to the public to pressure traders to pull down prices of commercial rice of the same quality.

Commercial rice was being sold at P47 to P60 per kilo in some parts of Mindanao even though government rice was available.

Arroyo also demanded the immediate release of local government units' internal revenue allotment, part of which will be used to subsidize the procurement of fertilizers for the country's farmers.