Residents line up for low-cost rice, sugar and other produce during the launching of Kadiwa ng Pasko with President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. in Barangay Addition Hills, Mandaluyong City on November 16, 2022 Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News
MANILA— President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on Saturday assured the public that the country's rice supply is enough even if the country has supposedly reduced the importation of the product.
During his surprise inspection at the National Food Authority (NFA) warehouse in Valenzuela City, Marcos said the agency's rice stock is still enough to the point that some could be sold to "Kadiwa" stalls for P25 per kilo.
"May nagtanong noong nasa Quezon City tayo, yung supply ng Kadiwa ay baka mapatid, baka ma-ano, magkulang," Marcos told reporters.
"Tinitignan ko kung saan manggagaling yung supply na pinagbibili natin sa mga Kadiwa, so pinuntahan ko muna kung may laman naman yung mga warehouse at merong parating pa nga," he added.
The President had vowed to bring down the rice prices to P20 per kilogram during his election campaign.
The P25 per kilogram rice being sold in Kadiwa outlets, meanwhile, remained limited. It is also being offered only until supplies last, based on ABS-CBN News' monitoring.
But the President said the government could continue selling rice through Kadiwa stalls given that the stock is enough.
"This is already the season na naglalabas na ng bigas so tuloy-tuloy na siguro ito para naman matiyak natin na ang Kadiwa ay hindi mauubusan ng commodities na ipagbibili at a good price na P25," he said.
Government, Marcos noted, is also monitoring rice production now that the country has reduced the amount of rice it imports.
"Talagang binawasan natin yung importation, doon natin kinukuha sa production. So okay, I think we'll be alright," he said.
"Pero, siyempre, kailangang bantayan nang husto iyan. 'pag tinamaan na naman tayo ng masamang weather, mararamdaman na naman natin 'yan sa supply ng palay, ng bigas," said Marcos.
A report by Agence Kampuchea Presse has shown that Cambodia asked the country to import more Cambodian rice and look at increasing its investments there.
In the first 9 months of the year, Philippine rice imports were estimated to have hit 2.75 million metric tons.
Based on the Department of Agriculture's rice monitoring in Metro Manila as of Friday, local commercial rice is being sold between P38 and P50 per kilogram.
- Special (blue tag) - P50
- Premium (yellow tag) - P45
- Well-milled (white tag) - P42
- Regular-milled (white tag) - P38
Here are the prices of imported commercial rice:
- Special (blue tag) - P50
- Premium (yellow tag) - P45
- Well-milled (white tag) - P40
- Regular-milled (white tag) - P38
Marcos earlier in the day said they would continue their "Kadiwa ng Pasko" program even beyond Christmas time to help Filipinos access cheaper products.