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Halve rice portions, restaurants asked

Malacañang denies there’s an impending rice shortage but tells restaurant to serve less rice.

Arroyo: Prepare for high prices of rice


Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap
yesterday asked fast-food outlets to offer half portions of rice to discourage wastage as government scrambles to boost rice supplies.

“We would like to exercise all efforts at ensuring the Philippines rice stocks continue to be maintained at a manageable level to ensure that the food security of the country will be maintained,” he said.

“I’m asking fast-food restaurants to give their customers an option to order half a cup of rice because right now, if you do a survey of all the fast-food joints, you will notice a fraction of them always have excess rice. People don’t really finish their rice,” he added.

The Philippines, one of the world’s biggest importers of rice, is struggling to source supplies of up to 1.8 million tons this year as prices sky rocket due to rising demand and tight inventories around the globe.

Yap said the Philippines, where rising harvests cannot keep pace with population growth, was not facing a rice shortage but people should conserve the staple.

The DA said if Filipinos could be more prudent in rice consumption, imports could go down by 37 percent to 1.17 million tons compared to last year’s import requirement of 1.87 million tons.

Manila has failed in three consecutive auctions to secure the full volume of rice it needs and is hoping to tap an emergency regional rice fund to help with a potential shortfall.

Thailand has committed to set aside 15,000 tons of rice for the Philippines under the East Asia Emergency Rice Reserve and officials have also contacted Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan and South Korea.

Results for last week’s auction for 550,000 tons of rice, which only attracted 355,500 tons of bids, are expected this week.

Manila is also looking to re-tender to buy up to 100,000 tons of rice from the United States after receiving only one bid last week. It is buying the US rice using $65 million in credit guarantees from the US Agriculture Department.

Last month, President Arroyo went outside normal commercial channels to ask Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to guarantee a supply of up to 1.5 million tons of rice, signalling rising nervousness about tight supply.

Hanoi, however, said it could only guarantee 1 million tons of rice, which already includes a volume of around 700,000 tons, which Vietnamese traders had already agreed to supply in auctions in December and January.

Vietnam sold nearly 1.4 million tons of rice to the Philippines last year.

A non-government organization said Yap should focus his attention more on the price spikes of the staple instead of turning to imports.

Jessica Reyes Cantos, lead convenor of Rice Watch and Action Network (R1), said Yap should instead investigate the abnormal increase in the local rice prices when the harvest season started last January although the lean months are usually in July to September.

“Yap should really start to learn the ropes of running an agriculture portfolio with a coherent food policy based on food self-sufficiency. We challenge him to sit down for an honest-to-goodness discussion on the rice master plan instead of resorting to knee-jerk reactions,” Cantos said.

Sen. Manuel Roxas II raised the alarm on a looming rice crisis as global supply tightens.

“According to DA (Department of Agriculture) and NFA (National Food Authority), we will be anticipating a deficit supply of rice of about two months’ worth of consumption,” he said.

He said the country is safe until October this year, but has to scamper for rice in November, when the shortfall will be strongly felt.

Roxas said the country could not continue to depend on imports from India or China since both countries will have to hedge against the global rice shortage.

“We project that in the future this problem will only get worse. Because India and China won’t be sending rice exports here, we must fend for ourselves,” he said.

Roxas proposed that government institute new programs for agriculture and expedite the release of calamity fund to local government units to source their own rice supply.

“They said the hybrid rice has been a success but why do we have a shortage in production?” he said.

Roxas favors relaxing the tariff on rice imports, which stands at 40 percent. But he said this would only partially resolve the problem.

Senate President Manuel Villar said he believes government is partly to blame for the “rice crisis” as it failed to curb corruption in the agriculture sector, particularly in dispensing funds for fertilizers.

Villar also said authorities should also look into the alleged rice cartels that control the distribution of rice in the market. – Job Realubit, Dennis Gadil and Reuters

Published inGeneralMalaya

62 Comments

  1. Malaya’s editorial last Friday, March 14, 2008:

    Officials are playing down a possible rice shortage following the government’s own statistics that the national inventory was down to 13 days consumption two weeks ago. The tight supply, however, is already evident in the prices of commercial rice, which now stand at P28 a kilo from the P23. Officials are banking on the dry season harvest to fill the gap.

    We hope the officials are right, for we are talking here of adequate staples for 87 million Filipinos. But we also wish the officials could give us the real score so we could be prepared just in case.

    Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap was trying to be disingenuous when he recently said supply was not the problem, it was prices. It’s true that in supermarkets one can find a wide array of rice varieties on sale, thanks to import liberalization. Thai jasmine rice, Indian basmati, Italian arborio, Japanese pearl, California long grain. Prices, however, start at P50 a kilo, which is beyond the reach of the mass of consumers.

    The government is currently looking around for foreign suppliers of 1.8 million tons it wants to import. Thailand does not have the surplus to spare. Neither does Vietnam which has suspended rice exports. In fact, Gloria Arroyo last month went outside normal diplomatic channels to ask Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to guarantee a supply of up to 1.5 million tons. Vietnam, however, could ensure a shipment of only 1 million tons, including 700,000 tons already contracted for in January and December.

    This week, the Philippines officially informed foreign governments it was tapping the East Asia Emergency Rice Reserve, a stockpile sourced from Southeast Asian countries as well as China, Japan and Korea. We are not sure if other countries have excess stocks that could be tapped under the reserve arrangement. Thailand, for example, has committed only 15,000 tons. Even if they do have the stocks, the Philippines still has to pay market rates.

    And this is where Yap’s reference to rising prices come in. Prices this week ranged from $618 to $745 a ton, including freight. At an average of $700 a ton, this translates to P28,000 a ton or P28 a kilo.

    The current price of NFA rice is P18.50 a kilo. If government maintains that price, the current price requires a subsidy of P10 a kilo.

    We are sure Gloria Arroyo, given the political troubles she is facing, will be able to find the money to bankroll NFA operations.

    But first she has to find those excess foreign rice stocks. And soon.

  2. Mas masahol itong si Gloria Dorobo doon sa tatay niya ha?

    I remember the same crisis Filipinos experienced during the Dadong Macapagal presidency, and reason why Marcos won the election following our departure from the Philippines. Rice then was imported mostly from war-torn Vietnam during the tenure of Ngo Dinh Diem.

    And she calls it economic progress when the strong peso is being artificially boosted up only with loans from China in exchange for Philippine patrimonies being used as collaterals, and the sagging dollar!

    Akala niya nakaloko na siya! Kapaaaal!!!

  3. TurningPoint TurningPoint

    It’s not surprising anymore if Malacanang will deny there’s an impending rice shortage. The price of rice to increase is one issue gloria will certainly avoid for it will be her waterloo. If she was able to survive all other crisis plaguing her being panggulo ng Pinas, her 7 years as pretender to the throne could be her end.

  4. TurningPoint TurningPoint

    The food shortage if for real and it should be addressed by not a mere paliative as in importing rice. It should have been the priority instead of the ZTE-NBN fiasco, all the China connected contracts.

    Iba na ang kwento kapag tuluyang ginutom ang mga Pilipino.

  5. chi chi

    We ain’t seen nothing yet! Brace ourselves for a delubyo under the leadership of the pResident Evilbitch!

    Kapag bigas ang nawala ay tiyak na gulo sa Pinas!

  6. TurningPoint TurningPoint

    Please allow me to cite here excerpts from an article in UK Times Online by Carl Mortished dated March 7, 2008 entitled Food Shortages Coming:

    Hoarding and panic is already beginning. As more and more crops are converted to energy producing uses instead of food for people and livestock, it will continue to get worse.

    The spectre of food shortages is casting a shadow across the globe, causing riots in Africa, consumer protests in Europe and panic in food-importingc ountries.

    In a world of increasing affluence, the hoarding of rice and wheat has begun. The President of the Philippines made an unprecedented call last week to the Vietnamese Prime Minister, requesting that he promise to supply a quantity of rice. The personal appeal by Gloria Arroyo to Nguyen Tan Dung for a guarantee was a highly unusual intervention and highlighted the Philippines’ dependence on food imports, rice in particular.

    “This is a wake-up call,” said Robert Zeigler, who heads the International Rice Research Institute. “We have a crisis brewing in rice supply.” Half ofthe planet depends on rice but stocks are at their lowest since the mid-1970s when Bangladesh suffered a terrible famine. Rice production will fall this year below the global consumption level of 430 million tonnes.”

    This report gave credence to what’s written by Ellen T on gloria arroyo imploring the Prime Minister of Vietnam for more supply of rice.

  7. TurningPoint TurningPoint

    Ang IRRI ay nasa ating bakuran, in Los Banos, Laguna. And no other than its head, Robert Zeigler said: This is wake up call. We have a crisis brewing in rice supply.

    Who in Malacanang could dispute the statement by Robert Zeigler? Perhaps gloria’s spinmasters by saying Zeigler was misquoted and the media twisted the news. Toting Bunye might also come out with two sacks, one in his left hand and one in his right hand showing there’s plenty of rice in the sacks. The rice brought from Thailand and Vietnam, perhaps.

  8. TurningPoint TurningPoint

    Nakakatawa rin ang sinabi ni Agriculture Arthur Yap para sa sabihin sa mga food outlets owners to offer half portion of rice to discourage wastage. Nag survey nga kaya sila?

    Kung tayo’y kakain halimbawa ng chicken joy sa Jollibee, naka-ready na ang rice with chicken. Hindi pwedeng sabihing kalahating kanin, pagtataasan ka ng kilay ng waiter. At hindi kaya alam ni Arthur Yap na karaniwan, iniuuwi sa bahay ang mga natirang pagkain sapagkat nagtitipid ang tao dahil sa kahirapan. O di kaya, pwede pagkain aso at pusa.

    Ang bungang isip ay malaking kaibahan kaysa sa survey.

  9. Isaac H Isaac H

    Bigas or kanin ang pinagusapan dito. Pagwalang makain ang Pinoy at nabibingi na sa guton, the trouble begins. Kaya hopeless ka na Gloria, itaga mo na rin sa bato. Bago magkagulo, nakawan muna hindi kaya pigilin ni Esperon yon.
    Kaya, the earlier the better, mag-alsa balutan na kayo. Wala ng mabilhan ng bigas buti kung isang pamilya lang ang sambayanan Pilipino. Sa amin sa Iloilo maraming bigas pero hindi namin kaya pakainin ang taga Luzon. Humingi kayo sa Malakanyang. Kaya tama ang Pinoy na pitik-pitik muna sa rally hangat dumating ang panahon na bigas ang problema. Sigi nga mag “brain storming” kayo para ma solbar ang problema.

  10. kejotee kejotee

    Pati ba naman bigas ay nakaw na rin ni gooria? kaya pala na-segregate niya ang spratleys upang doon guwardiahan ng chinese navy ang hoard niyang bigas.

  11. Diego K. Guerrero Diego K. Guerrero

    The Arroyo government has failed to sustain food security in the Philippines. It relies on importing rice from Asian neighbors. Sometimes greedy traders hoard rice in big warehouses to jack-up prices. Man-made rice shortage benefits smugglers. Rice smuggling is allegedly controlled by GMA cronies.

    If the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines has shipped 70,000 different varieties of rice from 120 different countries, then, why do we have rice crisis?

    It’s possible that Gloria Arroyo and her cohorts are using the current rice shortage (politics of rice) to divert public attention. The anomalous $329 M NBN-ZTE broadband scam and Spratlys sell-out to China is knocking at Malacanang door step.

  12. Diego K. Guerrero Diego K. Guerrero

    Re: “This is a wake-up call. We have a crisis brewing in rice supply.” IRRI chief Robert Zeigler

    What wake-up call? Gloria Arroyo and her Cabinet had been sleeping on their jobs since 2001 power grab. They are more focus on how get rich quick, selling our national patrimony and political survival of their boss. Kahit may bigas eh pero ang problema ay walang pambili dahil maliit ang kita ni Juan De La Cruz.

  13. haji haji

    Kung sobra di ipakain sa baboy. Any way binababoy na rin nila Constitution in favor of SINGKIT.

  14. P18/kilo ang pinakamurang bigas sa Pinas.Papano na kapag wala kang biente pesos,nilagang talbos ng bayabas na lang o kaya kapag medyo makahingi ng kamoteng kahoy ay ilalaga.Mura ang bigas dito at hindi nauubusan ng stock.$8 ang 10 pounds.Iyan ang dapat nilang asikasuhin dahil kapag wala ng makain ang tao o kaya’y lagi na iiyak ang mga maliliit nilang anak sa gutom ay mag-rebolusyon na talaga sila kesa mamatay sila sa gutom.

  15. atty36252 atty36252

    Magkakaroon na naman ng emergency importation. May kikita na naman.

    Sec may 200 ka na naman dito.

  16. chi chi

    Ang matitira na lang pala ay ulam na asin dahil wala nang sasabawan na kanin!

  17. TP, I was not the one who wrote the editorial of Malaya.

    I posted it here because it’s relevant.

  18. On the contrary, Chi, my mother told me that Filipinos stopped fighting the invading Japanese when they could not longer find rice to eat. Naghintay na lang ng pagbabalik ng mga kano. And when the Americans came back, they once again tasted those delicious American sweets and California rice. Then, they fought with the Americans and annihilated the Japanese troops.

    Who knows, the Dorobo is deliberately starving the Filipinos so they cannot have the strength to fight and drive her out of the palace by the murky river with her husband and their minions? Kaya siguro malakas ang loob ni Norberto Gonzales na sabihing the worse is over for Gloria Dorobo. Sarap murahin sa totoo lang.

    But then, when there is famine, it is a sign that the leaders of the land are no good and should be kicked out, kaya ganoon na lang ang pagtatakip ni Dorobo kahit na bistadong-bistado na siya.

  19. It is the sign of the time: from Matthew 24: 7-14
    “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”

  20. Eggplant Eggplant

    Ito na nga ang sinasabi ng mga eksperto at mas nakakaintindi ng ating sitwasyon, na ang dapat pagtuonan pansin ng gobyernong ito ay FOOD PRODUCTION.Ito ang pangunahing pangangailangan ng mga Filipino. Malaking bagay ang paglalagay o paglalatag ng imprastraktora para sa pagpapaunlad ng agrikoltura. Napakahalaga din ang pagbibigay ng technical at financial support sa mga magsasaka. If this government wants to achieve real economic growth that is beneficial for all the Filipinos, then they should support the Philippine agricultural industry. Ang hirap kasi dito mas nakatuon ang pansin ng gobyerno sa ibang aspeto ng industrialization ke sa food production. Mas nanaisin pa ng gobierno ito ang mag-import ng pagkain (gulay, karne, gatas, itlog, poultry) sa ibang bansa. Hindi ba naiisip ng mga magagaling nating ekonomista at teknokrats na kayang-kayang pakainin ng Pilipinas ang kanyang papolasyon kung mayroon lang malaganap na suporta para sa agrikoltura. This country is basically an agricultural economy. Aanhin mo naman ang ZTE broadband, etc. kung naghihikaos at halos wala nang makain ang iyong mga kababayan? Mas nakatuon ba ang pansin ng ating mga namumuno sa impraestraktora at sa pagpapaunlad ng mga industriya dahil dito ay may PERA at LAGAY? Kakarampot na nga lang ang perang nailalaan para sa agrikoltura, ninanakaw pa! Hello, Joc Joc Bulante?

  21. bitchevil bitchevil

    Where’s that Duren? Is she banned? We miss her posts. We miss beating her up here in this blog.

  22. Spartan Spartan

    Eto na ang epekto ng kaimpaktuhan nitong si gloria at ng kanyang asawa nang nakawin iyong 700 milyon mahigit sa kaban ng bayan na para sa agrikultura. Ngayon kulang na lamang ay sabihan ang mga pinoy na huwag na kayo kumain ng kanin. Ang kapal talaga ng pagmumukha ng mga hayop na ito. At sinisisi pa ngayon iyong mga fast food restaurants dahil daw nagsasayang lang sila ng bigas dahil sobra-sobra daw ang kanin sa kanilang mga menus? Ang galing talaga ng utak nitong pangkat ni gloria. Lalo na itong si yap-yapin na ang kapal din ng apog. Matapos ibato sa ibang posisyon nuong mainit siya sa Kawanihan ng Agrikultura, parang hindi maka-imik na tuta, ngayon na ibinalik ulit sa puwestong malaki ang raket, parang asong tumatahol para sa kanyang panginoong duwendeng itim.

  23. bitchevil bitchevil

    Agriculture Sec. Arthur Yap seems to be a decent nice guy. He comes from prominent Tsinoy family. I don’t think he’s as corrupt as the others. But why is he still with the Arroyo government? What does he owe her?

  24. Arthur Yap never learned his lesson. He was dressed down in full media view some years ago after Gloria personally saw rice stocks rotting in some NFA warehouse (was this scripted?). His incompetence is totally unbelieveable. This is definitely serious stuff but I would like to examine the underlying motives for Yap’s new blunder.

    Everytime these liars admit something’s wrong, there a lot of moolah being made somewhere!

  25. parasamasarap parasamasarap

    share ko lang po ang email ko sa mga officemates ko dito:

    Lantad na ngayon na meron nga tayong kakulangan sa supply ng bigas. Kanina eh nagpa-cute si Agri Sec. Arthur Yap at hindi naman daw problema ang supply, presyo daw ang problema… hehe..honga naman, kung kaya mo ‘yung Thai Jasmine, Italian o Japanese variety na nagsisimula sa fifty pesos per kilo eh wala kang problema. Eh paano sila Ely? Sila Buboy? at karamihan ng pinoy at ilan sa RGMA employees? Wala daw problema sa supply pero kinausap ni Yap ang mga fastfood managements kahapon: “pwede bang half-rice na lang ang serving?” para daw makatipid, dahil kalahati naman lang daw ang nakakain sa ino-order na 1 pc chickenjoy with rice (na pwedeng 1 pc. Chickenjoy with half rice na lang). Don’t worry, ok pa daw tayo sa ngayon. Sa Nobyembre pa daw magugutom ang mga kababayan natin. Really?! Eh kahapon ang haba ng pila sa NFA office sa Legazpi City. 3 kilos lang ang pwedeng ipagbili kada tao at lalagyan ka ng indelible ink para masigurong di ka na babalik.

    Sound daw ang economic policy ni Gloria at maganda ang economic growth natin. Kaya pala malapit nang magutom ang mga kababayan natin. Ayaw lang maniwala ni Bolisay na hindi naman natin nararamdaman ang sinasabing pagganda ng ekonomiya na pinangangalandakan ni Gloria. Sana naman hindi tayo umabot sa puntong per butil na ang bnilihan ng bigas… hehehe…

    ‘yung mga bigas n’yo (taga GMPI), hwag nyo na munang ibenta. Katulad ni Joseph eh ipunin ninyo para sa darating na kakulangan.

  26. rose rose

    This I can not understand..why would we have a shortage in rice when it is our staple food..is it because we don’t produce as much while the population increases? Or we are not producing at all and just import kasi mas mura ang bumili kay sa mag tanim? IRRI is in the Phil..Growing up we don’t eat the brown rice (para lang sa mga obrero) and we only have the “milagrosa”. While here mas mahal ang brown rice because healthier..sa amin mayroon kaming “black” rice which we call “taple” mas exotic and Cendrillon a trendy Filipino restaurant serves “black paella” exotic..I am not much of a rice eater hindi sa ayaw ko kaya lang sa kaartehan..mas marami daw ang calories sa rice…

  27. Diego K. Guerrero Diego K. Guerrero

    Bulok ang pamalakad ang rehimneg Arroyo. Mahirap maging industralize nation kapag hindi secured ang ating food security. Dapat bigyan prioridad ang mass food production dahil lumalaki ang ating populasyon. Huwag tayong umasa sa imported rice at karne. Bumili ako kanina sa aking suking Oriental store ng 50 lbs. Milagrosa rice (Mali variety) galing Thailand. Ang presyo ay $18.00/sack. Iyong 25 lbs. hinaluan ko ng 5 lbs. na brown rice para masmasarap at masmasustansya. Masarap ang amoy kaysa California long grain variety.

  28. vonjovi2 vonjovi2

    Lahat ng alagad ni EVIL BITCHES ay puro tanga hindi naman sila bobo kung tutuusing. Pero Tanga sa pag papaayos ng bansa natin. Matalino lang ang mga ito kapag ang usapan ay kurakutan eh.

  29. parasabayan parasabayan

    Akala ko ba eh economically ahead na tayo but we have a shortage of our staple food? There is no excuse for this!

    Kahit na wala tayong ibang produkto bastat ang pagkain ay sagana, ito ang pinakaimportanteng aspeto ng ating buhay.

    Samantalang ang milyong milyong hektaria ng lupain ay pinaparentahan sa mga dayuhan, tayo ay kulang sa sarili nating mga produkto. Lalo na siguro tayong kukulangin sa bigas at iba pang produkto kung itutuloy ang pagtatanim ng oil alternatives.

    Ninanakawan na ang kaban ng pera natin,pati ba naman ang kaban ng bigas natin ay ubos na?

  30. Nagsusulputan na naman ang mga gustong umagaw ng trono ni Dolphy. Kakapusin ang bigas na panustos sa gutom ng sambayanan. Ang solusyon: Bawasan ang takal ng mga kaning inihahain sa mga karinderya? Ha! ha! ha!

  31. uncvlized uncvlized

    Next time hindi na half rice portion ang problema, kundi half na lupain na ang problema kasi nabenta na ang karamihan na ari-arian ng ating bansang Pilipinas.

    PHILIPPINES FOR SALE ! GOING ONCE GOING TWICE ! SOLD !
    Palace ( bidding starts at P1 )

  32. atty36252 atty36252

    Parang variation ng let them eat cake.

    Kaya nga malakas sa kanin dahil walang pambili ng ulam. Panoorin ang maralita; dalawang tuyo at isang gabundok na kanin, ayos na.

    Bakit hindi magpaggawa sa China ng makina na hinahati ang butil ng bigas, para ma-doble ang supply?

    Why don’t we redefine hunger? After all, nag-redefine na ng consumer price index (iniba ang base year), nag-redefine din ng unemployment (the labor force), kaya may drop from 11+ % to 7.8%.

  33. Valdemar Valdemar

    According to the chinese, we have enough ‘lies’. Fly lies, white ‘lies’ and true lies.

  34. tikbalang tikbalang

    Ano kaya ang masasabi ng mga civil society kay Gloriang Manananggal. Sabi pa nga ni Erap weter weter lang yan, Bobo ako hindi marunong mag ingles walang alam sa ekonomiya hanggang pag aartista lang ang alam ko. Sila lang ang magagaling at matatalino.
    Saan na ba ang mga civil society na nagpatalsik kay Erap ilabas ninyo ang galing ninyo ang talino ninyo kung papaano aasenso ang bayang Pilipinas. Ano ang napala natin kay Gloriang Manananggal lalong lulumubog sa kahirapan ang Pilipinas.

  35. This rice shortage issue may fall directly on Sec. Arthur Yap’s lap for being rather reactive more than proactive in dealing with the situation.

    Though, I tried hard to make myself believe that the buck stops at Yap’s doorsteps, I still failed to convince myself that Yap’s micromanaging, economist boss cannot be faulted for this.

    I simply cannot believe that Yap’s appeal for restaurant operators to halve rice servings is a serious appeal. It is even harder to swallow that he, now, passes the buck to the rice-eating public because “a fraction of them always have excess rice”.

    Yap has a boss who micromanages, even to a fault. That’s according to most of Yap’s own colleagues.

    How can one take accountability away from a boss who micromanages?

    How can a micromanager escape accountability from faults allegedly committed by her subalterns? How can a micromanager, and an ‘economist’ at that, fail to see the implications of what Malthus theorized?

    We are running short on our stockpile of rice, and the government, through Sec. Yap, is putting the blame squarely on the people’s wasteful eating habits.

    We are running short on accountability and honesty. Can we, as a people, put the blame squarely on those who pretend to put our welfare well above their own?

  36. Mrivera Mrivera

    Halve rice portions, restaurants asked?

    secretary arthur yap, why don’t you ask your bogus president, her family and you members of the cabinet to do the first move?

    you in gloria’s government always want the people get involved whenever you want something accomplished, but are you involving yourselves?

  37. TurningPoint TurningPoint

    Mrivera

    Sec. Arthur Yap was just yapping. Dapat nga ang ginawa before announcing that he asked food outlets to halve rice orders, ang Malakanyang muna ang nagpakita ng sample how to do it. Pero palibhasa wala naman ding maniniwala dahil sa totoo lang, walang totoo sa kanilang pinagyayap-yap.

    Base sa sinabi ni Valdemar (March 18th, 2008 at 8:09 pm) no problem sa rice kasi si gloria at kanyang alipores simula nang magkaroon ng China connection. Marami silang rice but Chinese pronounced it ‘lies’. Fly lies, white ‘lies’ and true lies.

  38. luzviminda luzviminda

    Unbelievable! Imagine, yung Agri head eh mag-suggest na hatiin ang konsumo ng rice. Eh ano ba ang silbi niya dun sa Department of Agri kung hindi niya kayang seguraduhin na may supply PALAGI ang amamayang Pilipino. Asan ang economic gains ni Gloria eh mawawalan na tayo ng GRAINS. Nuong panahon ni Marcos itinatag ang International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) para mapakinabangan ng Pinas ang resulta ng mga studies dito at magkaroon tayo ng hindi lang sapat na supply, bagkus ay para makapag-export na rin. Ang kaso ay napabayaan na ng mga kurakot na presidente at puro import na lang ang gusto dahil duon malaki ang Kurakot. Nadaig na tayo ng Thailand at maging Vietnam na ini-apply ang mga natutunan sa IRRI. Pag nagutom ang Pinoy, pihadong MADUGONG REBOLUSYON!!!

  39. gusa77 gusa77

    I guess Malakanyang UNIV. has a solutions for frigthening crisis of grains/staple food of the country thru thier mighty knowledges of hi-tech proceesing.since the scandal of NBN broke out everything went sour to bitterness(suspension to canceelations of contracts),w/c they great desires the gov’t to have world first class “Information TECHNOLOGY”.Since most of them are holder of doctoral degrees of LIES and DECEPTION,w/ expertise of covering up.Next advisory will be like this:Whoever could afford to purchase or pocessed a copier or printer w/scanner for copying, any machines would produce a large quantities of desires items must hold on to it now!due these machines would be survival gadget for your “HUNGER”,just purchase a kilo of premium class RICE w/tag price of 80 pesos/kilo,then you put it into “COPYING UNITS”,PRESTO,for productions either you could mass produce it on personal comsumption or bussiness purposses.THIS WILL SAVE THE ENTIRE POPULATION from starvation ,also advantage for the strong “PESOS”,that would coming out BSP.

  40. Is it possible that this rice shortage is just a ploy to force the US, Japan, etc. to send the Philippines free rice for the idiot to steal again and make cash of? Or are they hoarding the supply of rice again so they can make more nakaw by hiking up the price by saying that the supply is down?

  41. haji haji

    Balita ko nahanda mag barter si Mr PANDA ng tone-tonelandang bigas para kapalit ng isang isla sa Spratley.
    basta may approval kay Mrs CARABAO at MR OINK!OINK.

  42. Isaac H Isaac H

    Nakita ninyo iba na ang tono ng pananalita ng palasyo. Takot magutom si Juan dela Cruz at Pedro Penduko. Pagnaguton ang Pinoy baka si Ermita hindi na makauwi sa Nasugbu Batangas at si Nograles sa Bankerohan Davao City. Dito sa Canada, wala ngang taniman ng palay pero ang bigas mura pa sa Pinas at malayo pa ito sa China and Thailand. Subukan mong magdala ng 5 sakong bigas from Iloilo to Manila, harangin ka ng pulis sa pier North Harbor, paghanapan ka ng license permit kung nagnenegosyo ka ng bigas at pag walang ipakita kunin nila ang bigas kasuhan pa ikaw ng hording. Wala akong natandaan na ang bigas galing sa China, Vietnam, Thailand, etc nakarating sa Iloilo. Mukhang minamadyik lang sa Manila after the time ni Jess Tanchanco NFA Administrator. Si Jess ang nagpatayo ng maraming warehouse all-over the country. Iniwan ang magandang trabaho sa UNILAB para lang tumolong sa gobierno. Mawala ang topic na ito pero tiyak babalik sa October or November matapos ang ani ng palay.

  43. myrna myrna

    these idiots in the government do not care a bit, even if the supply of rice will dwindle! for them, “so what” would be their reaction…..they do not eat rice by choice anyway! they eat bread, or potatoes, that’s why!

  44. myrna myrna

    sabi ni gloria, wala daw rice shortage, except the price of rice will increase.

    bottomline is: hirap pa rin para sa taong bayan na hikahos na nga kung saan kukuha ng pambili ng pagkain, tapos, tataasan pa ng presyo. papaano na si juan de la cruz?

    mga &**^%$ ina nila talaga! nakaka high blood!

  45. myrna myrna

    ito pa, sabi, isa sa mga dahilan, imbes na taniman ng palay, naging housing development areas, AT ginagawang golf courses! o di simpre pa, talagang mawawalan ng espasyo para taniman ng palay.

    kasi mentalidad ng pinoy, lalo na at nauso yung mga borjer at “sumikat” ang paglaro ng golf, ang mga social-climbing filipinos nagpupursige na rin maglaro ng golf. resulta: demand ng golf courses.

    letseng yawa gobyerno na ito ni gloria, lalong naghirap ang tao. kung wala ang foreign remittance, saan pupulutin economiya? na dinodoktor pa niya!

  46. gusa77 gusa77

    They last defensive statement would be coming out of fresh newly recipent of doctoral degrees,the only one Ms.Fajardo, herself.The occurances of problems on foods was inherited from the previous administrations,etc,next due of mother nature calamities from the past,second blaming the downturns of economy of the other countries,interuption of food production due to recurring rallies/protest against the administrations/ what else do I omit of excuses they will bring out to the public? GOT SOME MORE to add on co-blooggers!!!

  47. Valdemar Valdemar

    The CARP is giving rice lands to the lazy ones, kins of the mayors and surveyors, the absentee tenants, and tenants in waiting for buyers with right connections at land conversions.
    Most agricultural lands are not done properly. There is a great percentage that is idle most of the time. Small farmers cant make business enough to support the rice needs of the country. Even for themselves.
    We will remain in this mess if the CARL is not changed.

  48. rose rose

    Baka ang ibig nilang sabihin..serve half portion of rice and half portion of corn or camote..
    If I remember right, we had this experience before of shortage of rice at ration ration pa nga..only to find out later that somebody was hoarding rice to be sold at a higher price later..

  49. nelbar nelbar

    Yung nagtitinda ng pagkain sa opisina namin na taga Bikol ang sabi 38 pesos na raw ang kilo ng bigas.
    Mahal daw kasi nagbabayad pa ng P75 pesos para magbuhat ng isang kaban na bigas papaakyat ng bundok sa Albay. Iyong iba isinasakay pa ito sa banka.

    Pati pamasahe ay nagmamahal na rin. Halimbawa kung nakabili ka ng ticket na 300, at naisipan mo na hwag na lang umuwi dahil sa hirap. Itong ticket pwedeng mabenta ng 400-500 dun sa mga nangangailangan talaga.

    Hay buhay, ganito na ba talaga ang life ngayon?

  50. Elvira Elvira

    Have you ever wondered why that woman gloria claim Cebu as her “country?” Kasi, the Cebuanos never complain, “we have shortage of rice!” Corn or Mais naman ang kinakain nila! And corn is not only healthier but also a lot cheaper! (Hindi nga lang kasin-lambot ng rice)
    Sa Mindanao, a combination of rice and corn, has always been
    the norm whenever there’s a so-called “rice shortage.”
    Why don’t the rice-eating folks try it? It is GOOD!

  51. parasabayan parasabayan

    Root crops are actually more nutricious than the over processed white rice. Puro carbohydrates na lang ang naiiwan sa white rice natin. I have eaten mostly brown rice for almost ten years now. It has more fiber and B vitamin too. Kaya lang talaga namang nakakagana ang kumain ng rice lalo na kung tuyo ang ulam! Yummy!

  52. ebvmart ebvmart

    The rice shortage is no longer a problem of the department of agriculture it is a problem of the family planners our population is ballooning to a tune of 200 babies everyhour faster than the government can create a job.The farmers per se cannot produce anymore enough food to feed our expanding population and with the technology that we still use to date is of 30 or 40 years ago, forcing the farmers to produce more with this kind of technology will soon leave a devastating effect on our environment,one example is the over use of fertilizers,notice that we rarely see fishes thriving on the rice paddies this days it is a clear indication that our ecology is not as healthy as it was few years ago.For us to become self sufficient in food we must adopt a new technology to guarantee our food security,but this new technology that is in use in other develop countries is too expensive for a third world country like us.Government will use a big chunk of our budget to venture into this new technology, so for now lets go back to the basic solution to this problem…plan your family.

  53. Valdemar Valdemar

    To carve the rice problem, outlaw stomach size larger than the hip size. Penalty-no rice ration, only water.

  54. zen2 zen2

    mura ang Dolyar sa ngayon, kaya gusto ng mga ganid magtaas ng presyo para maraming pambili ng dolyar at ito’y mai-stash sa banyagang lugar.

    matagal ng HINDI self-sufficient ang Pinas sa bigas, ano ang espesyal na pagkakataon ngayon at emergency purchase na naman ang naisip? emergency purchase would mean higher prices !!

    tama si Atty 36252 !, may kikita na naman dito nang mala-anomalyadong ganansya!

    iyong kaibigan ko sa negosyo na Pakistani sells rice by shiploads to other countries at PhP 7 to 8/ kilo, premium quality (@ 45 PhP to 1 US $).

    maraming MURANG bigas sa labas ng bansa, kung bakit kailangan idaan ito sa madaliang pamimili iyan ang tutukan!

  55. zen2 zen2

    ebvmart,

    it is not hard to agree with your point re: ecology. the destruction brought about by a combination of both plain ignorance, and crass commercialism is truly lamentable especially when there are no deliberate measures to address the issue.

    but, family planning is only but part of the solution. it is not the cure-all panacea.

    one major problem is the non-availability of responsive infrastructure.

    if one try to travel in the countryside, where most of local foodstuffs is sourced, one would readily notice the absence of a workable irrigation system— an engineering problem that is relatively easy to solve, but requires honest, firm eco-political will.

    second, is the lack of coherent land-use laws. and downright stupid and scandalous sense of priority.

    imagine a government setting aside hundred thousands of hectares of land to satiate the demands of a foreign-govt, while its own people, could NOT even feed themselves!

  56. gusa77 gusa77

    ebvmart,you mean to say the over use of fertilizers,where and when this poor farmers has used fertilizers,asphalt jungles of urban cities,elected officials field offices,subsiding funds for the election planting ballots,is that what you mean on over used.Asked JOC-JOC did he over used almost A BILLION PESOS for fertilizers which supposed for the farmers used.Though “POPULATIONS” has little relavnacies on the problems because of it growths,this matter could be offset by the output productions of our natural resources,if we used in proper ways.Modern tech. are not posing problems to our environments,compared any progressive country in the region,to ours,they used modernized equipments,instead mammalized proceedures,w/c consider a stone ages technique.If all those past and even the current administrations has been positves on self reliances of our agri-industrial developement,we won’t be facing a big problem.Take a look at Vietnam a wartorn places for more than 6 decades they still produces and exporting.RP in comparisons also in 7 decades of independencies from foriegner,for start our country are in good shape in AGRI-production,though industrial were still in infancy stages,but when we start electing those greedy and power hungry officials the whole country turns to SLAVE TRADING POST.

  57. zen2,
    Did you notice how the dollar suddenly kicked up despite the retreat in oil prices?

    Imagine the slew of politicians taking out dollars to watch Manny Pacquiao, spending a few days each in the US and Europe. Depositing dollars to their offshore accounts. And finally a pitstop at Hong Kong for shopping before heading home after Easter.

    Our Reps are doing mankind a big favor: they are pump-priming the world economy!

  58. nelbar nelbar

    Sa palagay ko TT(makisali na rin ako sa usapan nyo ni zen2), itong relasyon ng dolyar at bariles ng langis ay laging nakaakibat sa OFW na nakabase dyan sa Middle East.

    At sa kabilang banda, ang mga dependents ng mga nasabing OFW sa home country nito ay hindi alintana kung ano ang halaga ng 7.50 na minimum na bayad sa jeep o’ 20 pesos para sa FX.

    Ang pasahe natin ay hindi taxed ika nga kung ikukumpara sa mga progresibong bansa na may mass trasport system.

    Driver mismo ng jeep ang nagbabayad nito sa pamamagitan ng bawat litro na kinakarga sa makina ng sasakyan.

    Samantalang kapag kasama ko ang Nanay ko sa byahe at sumasakay ng jeepney, nagbabayad ako ng 20.50 para siguradong masusuklian ako ng syiete.

    Alam ni Cocoy yan kasi ipinaglalaban ko rin naman ang karapatan ng mga Senior Citizens.

  59. ebvmart ebvmart

    gusa77,studies shows that most of our agricultural land are too acidic and stessed out not only due to overuse of fertilizer,(take note farmers borrows money to buy more fertilizer and use more than 6 or more bags fertilizer to 1 hectare of farmland which is a common practice 40 years back),But also the overuse of pesticides,is it safe to eat snails gathers from the farm this days?In Vietnam,the farmers here rarely use fertilizers and pesticides for decades most of their produce are organically produce,Yet they produce more rice than we do and of good quality,whats the reason? their agricultural land is not acidic and stress out,which means that they can have three cropping in a year,Fishes and small crabs thrive on their farms and able to sustain their food even during the time of war.Korea have only 20% agricultural land but they too can sustain their food security,because they use modern way of farming,the only problem why they import most of their food this days is because of lack of farmers to toil their land,population decrease is their main problem.Just what as said before our land can sustain food for our balloning population but we have a price to pay the destruction of our ecosystem if we insist on using old technologies.

  60. Mrivera Mrivera

    ebvmart,

    what happened to gloria’s pet project, THE GININTUANG MASAGANANG ANI? with its acronym GMA clearly named after her majesty, the lying queen?

    where is the golden harvest? deposited in different banks abroad?

  61. ebvmart ebvmart

    Mrivera Why ask me about GMAs project The ginintuang Masaganang ani? Presidents projects come and go During the Marcos Regime we have the Masagana 99,but it didnt work the way we expected,we experience the worst rice crisis in the late 70s,so what else is new.GMAs projects for Agricultural growth and sustainable food security is like a mushroom that pops out from nowhere,projects being approved without consultation, flyby night contractors were awarded to undergo the projects and budget were allocated,and in the end there were no project insight,and no rice in the bowl.

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