Palace: Duterte has ‘diplomatic solution’ to possible NFA rice shortage

In this photo, taken July 4, 2014, an NFA worker unloads rice imported from Vietname at the NFA warehouse in Taguig. (File photo by JOAN BONDOC / Philippine Daily Inquirer)O

Malacañang on Monday allayed fears on the possible shortage of National Food Authority (NFA) rice in the market as President Rodrigo Duterte had already employed a “diplomatic solution” to address the problem.

“I was not authorized to reveal what the President has done,” Roque said in a Palace briefing. “But the President has done a diplomatic initiative to address this. But without authority, I cannot yet announce.”

Roque did not elaborate.

On Sunday, Sen. Nancy Binay lamented the the shortage of NFA rice in the market, as she asked the Inter-agency National Food Authority Council to address the “dwindling supply” of affordable rice.

Binay cited a report from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showing prices of regular and well-milled rice rising by P1 to P3 per kilo in six regional centers in the country.

“Kasama sa trabaho ng NFA ang siguruhin na mayroong sapat at murang bigas para sa lahat, lalo na ngayong damang-dama ng ating mga kababayan ang kakulangan sa NFA rice,” she said.

[It’s part of the NFA’s job to make sure that there’s sufficient and cheap rice for everyone, especially now that our countrymen are really feeling the shortage of NFA rice.]

According to the senator, the NFA sells rice at P27 per kilo and P32 per kilo, while commercial rice varieties of comparable quality are sold at P36 per kilo to P41 per kilo. /atm