Speaker: No more need for NFA council

NFA rice has disappeared in many outlets, like in this stall in Kamuning Market which sells commercial rice. (File photo by JAM STA. ROSA / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Sunday backed President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to abolish the National Food Authority (NFA) Council amid the reported shortage of low-priced rice in the country.

“Para sa akin, hindi na siguro kailangan yung council-council. Meron naman tayong NFA Administrator. Kung gawin niya yung trabaho niya, wala naman sigurong magiging problema,” Alvarez said in an interview over radio dzMM.

The House leader lamented how the Philippines needed to import rice from countries that learned rice planting technology from studying agriculture in the country.

“Yung research center nasa atin, nandyan sa Los Baños. Lahat ng mga karatig-bansa ay diyan nag-aaral from Cambodia, Thailand pero tayo yung bumibili ng bigas nila. Parang ang hirap intindihin,” he added.

Last April 5, Duterte reportedly made the verbal order to abolish NFA’s policy-making body.
READ: Duterte orders abolition of NFA’s policy-making body 

The President later asked NFA Administrator Jason Aquino to ignore the council and import rice to allay fears of the public on a possible rice shortage. /cbb

READ: Duterte to NFA chief: Ignore council, go ahead with rice importation