THE MOUNTAINEER

Rice shortage: Political time bomb?
(Part 2)
EDISON L. BADDAL

The worst anomalous business practice, however, is the re-bagging or repacking of NFA rice into commercial sacks which are then resold to unsuspecting buyers as commercial rice. This is a gross violation of Sec. 29 (c) of Presidential Decree No. 4.

Meanwhile, it is believed that these rice hoarders are members of a cartel who, in cahoots with NFA personnel and alien food traders, are involved in cornering government rice supply. The involvement of foreigners in the illegal diversion or cornering of government rice is evidenced by a pair of two Chinese food traders who were recently deported by the BID. This was when their involvement in cornering the rice supply intended for a northern province was unearthed.

Economically, the rice crisis, which was triggered by increase in the price of oil and its byproducts, upped the inflation rate of the country’s economy for the current month to 6.4%. This is a sudden and abrupt increase considering that the inflation rate used
to hover between 2.6% to 3% in previous years.

If the food shortage continues, the government might be unable to reach its
goal of achieving a 5% or higher economic growth rate for the year. It will negate the high growth rate that that it achieved last year, which is one for the books. It might also delay the eradication of the remaining budget deficit which it expects to wipe out this year in order to introduce a deficit-free national budget next year.

However, if the government won’t flinch in its crackdown on anomalous trade practices with the felons, including government workers playing footsie with them, jailed, the momentum of economic recovery will yet be sustained, much less
expand and improve. At most, the sustained crackdown will serve as a warning to the hoarders’ ilk that the government means business in its campaign to make the country self-sufficient in rice and other food supplies.

On the other hand, to continuously sustain government subsidy on the NFA rice, may be some projects can be realigned for the purpose until the price of rice, including commercial rice, will stabilize. This is to stave off hunger of the masses until the next harvest.

Also, this is to supplement whatever share the government will get
from the $200 million food fund which was released by US President George Bush as emergency aid to countries stalked by hunger. It will likewise augment the country’s share from the United Nation’s World Food
program which is currently collecting funds from rich western countries to supply food to countries being besieged by food shortage and wracked by violent protests.

On the political front, rice as a political issue is an underlying social volcano. Being the staple food, its shortage, either artificial or otherwise, never fails trigger bitter resentment, dissent and broadsides by the masses against the government. A square meal is never complete without a serving of rice on a Filipino household’s dining table. Several past rebellions from the masses due to hunger associated with inadequate provisions, including rice, has spattered the country’s history.

Fact is, for the poor Filipinos, a great number of whom subsist on a dollar a day, rice is the primary commodity on which meager income is disposed. By and large, a poor household can dispense with viand but not with rice from its shoestring budget inasmuch as it bridges the gap between hunger and
food satisfaction. Meanwhile, it is also the primary source of carbohydrates that provides physical energy for most Filipinos.

Thus, PGMA is astute enough to realize the shortage of rice as an incendiary political issue hence her swift action to ensure lasting supply of affordable
to the poor. At this point, though, with the big portion of the population going
for cheap rice, it is high time that the government should seriously consider curbing annual population growth even to the extent of bucking the catholic hierarchy if need be.

The annual population growth rate which now precariously stands at 2.36% is putting much stress and can hardly be sufficiently provided for from the dwindling resources of the country. An annual population growth rate of 1.5% to 1.6% is more manageable as far as the country’s remaining resources are concerned.

It is quite laudable that, except for a minor political posturings like when Legarda
decried the planned increase in the price of NFA rice, the guns of the obstreperous opposition have been literally silenced. Presumably, they might have realized that they owe it to themselves more so to the Filipino people, who installed
them to their positions in the first place, to lend a hand to the government in solving the rice crisis.

At least, their silence helped in some ways to backstop theefforts of the
government to ensure the supply of cheap rice to the people. Their silence also averted a potential social eruption caused by the crisis from aggravating. They were prudent enough to realize that they cannot afford to be smug and cavalier even as it behooves them to be of real service to the people at this point by putting their skills, energy and resources where their mouths are. And to the slogans they mouthed in their past campaign rhetoric.

More than ever, standoffish and destructive politics are not necessary at this time, as it never was and will never be, and should take the backseat not only now but for all time, for the sake of the people.

In Mt. Province, the only evidence of the crisis is the general complaint of
restaurateurs and small eatery owners that the prohibitive price of rice and meat has reduced their gains. Otherwise, hardy people as they are, farm lots of Mountain folks have been planted early by at least a month and a half or two months due to the rainfall and stormy summer that we have.

The easterly rains that preceded the first storm to hit the country a week ago replenished irrigation canals and softened dried earth for plowing. One thing more, mountaineers usually buy rice, NFA or commercial, by the sack and not by kilos so that they do not feel much the acuteness of the rice crisis. By a long shot, the production of heirloom rice, which is in the pipeline, will enable local farmers to be more productive through applied organic farming. This will secure them against any rice crisis in the near or distant future.