Partylist solons want P10B add-on budget to buy palay, ease rice woes

Photo from the Makabayan bloc

The House Makabayan bloc is seeking for a P10-billion supplemental budget for the procurement of palay from local rice farmers in a bid to ease the rice crisis in various parts of the country.

The group filed Wednesday House Joint Resolution 28, which aims to buy palay from farmers at an “enhanced price” of P20 per kilogram between September 2018 and January 2019.

A joint resolution adopted by both houses of Congress has the force of law once signed by the President.

The resolution was filed by Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate, ACT-Teachers Reps. Antonio Tinio and France Castro, Gabriela Reps. Emmi de Jesus and Arlene Brosas, Anakpawis Rep. Ariel Casilao, and Kabataan Rep. Sarah Elago.

According to the Makabayan bloc, the supplemental budget should be given to the National Food Authority (NFA) and used exclusively for buying palay from local rice farmers.

The lawmakers lamented how – for eight straight months now – the country “has been suffering from a rice crisis that is getting worse every day and does not have an end in sight because of the inaction of concerned authorities.”

There is a need for Congress to “snap the government out of its paralysis and inaction” in order to avert the crisis from getting out of control, they added.

They also said the remaining P900,000 from the P7 billion allocated to the NFA for palay procurement in the 2018 budget should be added to the supplemental budget. /kga