BAGUIO CITY -- EXECUTIVE SECRETARY Eduardo Ermita has assured the public that the country will not plunge into a crisis due to a rice shortage.

But Ermita said the government would pursue some belt tightening on rice consumption and retail to ensure that the staple would be available through the lean months of July, August and September.

“There is no rice shortage. All government is doing is to stock up on rice in preparation for the lean months,” Ermita said here on Saturday. He was guest during the launching of the centennial celebration of the Teachers’ Camp.

“There is no shortage. We just need to control how we consume rice so that we won’t be caught flatfooted when the rainy season comes,” Ermita said.

The Philippine government last week had failed to attract bidders to a supply auction for 675,000 metric tons of rice.

The tragedy in Burma (Myanmar) could also increase rice demand in southeast Asia, although the commodity supply in Baguio has been steady in spite of the queues outside government retail outlets, local rice retailers said during a Friday meeting with officials of the Baguio Market Plaza Cooperative-Multipurpose (Bamapcom).

The destruction of farmlands in Burma due to a recent cyclone meant that more people would need to import rice so this may increase demand, and therefore prices, said Joseph Cacal, Bamapcom general manager.

Ermita also said the government has no control over oil prices, which is affecting transport, food production and even power rates.

“The escalating oil prices is beyond our control because that is influenced by the world market. So all we can do is undertake mitigating measures… so that its impact won’t be that painful,” he said.