CEBU, Philippines - The price of rice from the National Food Authority (NFA) remains at P27 per kilo despite prices of commercial rice increasing by up to P1.50 per kilo.
NFA7 information officer Lucy Rosales also said that despite the increase in prices, there is no shortage of commercial rice.
Rosales said that prices of premium rice such as Ganador is a 'natural occurrence' during the Christmas season when more people would choose to eat rice of better quality.
“Musaka ang presyo sa premium rice kay naghinangat na ang Pasko. Unya ang mga tawo ganahan mukaon og mas lami ug humot nga bugas (The price of commercial rice increased because of the entrance of the Christmas season and people would prefer to eat rice of better quality during this time),†Rosales said.
Likewise, the prices of commercial rice also increased with the increase in demand following the onslaught of super typhoon Yolanda.
The price of premium rice, Rosales said, has increased by P1 per kilo while the price of well-milled rice has increased by P1 to P1.50 per kilo.
Rosales hopes commercial rice traders won't increase prices too much.
“Dili lang sad unta magpatuyang og increase sa ilang presyo ang atong mga grain retailers because they have social responsibility sa katawhan especially to the poor (Hopefully, our grain retailers won't increased prices too much because they also have a social responsibility to the people, especially to the poor),†Rosales said.
“Pero ang mga big rice traders nag order na og sinakong bugas sa Central Luzon apan wala pa lang naabot (Big rice traders have placed orders from Central Luzon, but supplies have not arrived just yet),†Rosales said.
Based on NFA's inventory on the first week of November, there are still 400,000 sacks of commercial rice and 580,000 NFA rice available in Region 7.
Rosales said that since November 11, they have already released 52,000 sacks of NFA rice to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 7, Philippine National Red Cross, National Disaster Risk, Reduction Management Council, charitable institutions, local government units and private individuals. — (FREEMAN)