President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. leads the distribution of confiscated smuggled rice to less-fortunate citizens in Zamboanga City on Tuesday, Sept. 19. (PHOTO SCREENGRABBED FROM RTVM)
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said that the Philippines has enough rice supplies, but existing problems were caused by lapses in distribution systems.
In a speech for a rice distribution program in Camarines Sur on Saturday, Marcos said that gaps in distribution were a cause for problems in rice supplies.
“Pero ang dami pa rin kulang, ang dami pa rin kulang sa pag-distribute. Marami naman tayong bigas hindi lang nailalabas nang tama. Kaya’t hindi problema ang supply sa atin dito sa Pilipinas. Sabi ng Department of Agriculture mas malaki ang ani natin ngayong taon na ito kaysa sa nakaraan kaya’t sa production side naman ay nagiging maayos,” Marcos said.
(There are still many things lacking in distribution. We have plenty of rice, but it is not distributed properly, that is why rice supply is not a problem in the Philippines. The Department of Agriculture said that the harvest for this year will be more abundant compared to the previous years, so the production side is well.)
Marcos likewise said that the present rice cycle system from planting to distribution will also have to be reassessed.
“Ngunit, kailangan natin ayusin ang sistema mula sa pagtanim, mula sa pag-research and development hanggang sa pagtanim hanggang sa processing hanggang sa distribution, marketing, hanggang sa retail,” he added.
(We need to fix the system from planting, research and development, processing, distribution, marketing, to retail.)
Recently, Marcos approved a price cap on regular and well-milled rice to combat the rising prices, P41 per kilogram and P45 per kilogram, respectively.