An official of the Department of Agriculture (DA) announced that someone suggested to President Ferdinand ”Bongbong” Marcos Jr. that rice instead of money be given to the beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
In the Palace press briefing this Tuesday, DA Undersecretary Roger Navarro said that giving rice instead of money to the beneficiaries of the 4Ps may help lower the rice inflation rate.
”Actually, it was suggested in the meeting that we have the 4Ps, for example, for DSWD. We told the President that if we can convert the 4Ps instead of money, it should be on rice form, supplied by NFA. So we will take them out in the price pressures of the market in terms of buying high-price rice. These are 20% all over the country which are the vulnerable poor under the DSWD that is beneficiary for 4Ps,” explained Navarro.
”And we’re giving them money, and unfortunately because that is not rice, they’re going to buy rice in the market price; and that put pressure and inflationary in the market because they’re going to compete with the people who have money and then with only 4Ps,” he added.
DA considers giving rice instead of money to 4Ps beneficiaries
Navarro said that the president will consider such a suggestion and study how it can be implemented.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development, the agency that manages the 4Ps, is a government program that helps the poorest Filipino families.
Meanwhile, a recent United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) report predicts that the Philippines will import more rice than initially thought this year and become the globe’s largest rice buyer.
In the latest Grain World Markets and Trade report, unveiled on Friday, the USDA forecasts that the Philippines will procure 3.9 million metric tons of rice this year, an increase from its previous prediction of 3.8 million metric tons in January. The revised estimate is attributed to robust recent procurements from Vietnam.
Pursuant to the memorandum of understanding, Vietnam consented to a five-year deal to provide the Philippine private sector with 1.5 to 2 million metric tons of white rice annually at a reasonable cost.
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