‘We are not in a rice emergency,’ says DTI’s Pascual

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Alfredo Pascual attends the Committee on Foreign Relations’ public hearing in this file photo taken on December 12, 2022. (Senate PRIB file photo / Bibo Nueva España)

MANILA, Philippines – “I think we are not in a rice emergency, so to speak.”

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Alfredo Pascual assessed the rice situation, mentioning, “I don’t think the situation is getting worse, and we’ll see.”

“(But) I’m confident that as harvest season is commencing. We’re looking at harvesting 5 million metric tons of rice between now and the end of October,” he explained in an interview on ANC.

The DTI Secretary was asked for his comment on Marikina Second District Representative Stella Quimbo’s filing of a bill giving the President the power to declare a national rice emergency.

The measure was submitted to the House of Representatives on September 5.

Meanwhile, Pascual believes the recent implementation of price ceilings on rice is effective.

He claimed the move made the price of the grain affordable to ordinary Filipinos.

“Yes, we are able to make our rice available to our mass consumers at P41 per kilo for regular well-milled rice, and P45 per kilo for well-milled rice. I think that’s what’s important,” he said.

“It’s a solution that’s called for, given the circumstances,” he added.

The Trade Secretary said the price cap may go on for another two weeks, depending on the situation in the following days.

He claimed most retailers comply with the instruction issued through Executive Order (EO) number 39.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. signed the EO on August 31.

The price ceiling was put in place five days later.

Pascual also said retailers affected by the order will receive a P15,000 subsidy from the social welfare department.

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