BY JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR

PRESIDENT Arroyo yesterday asked the people not to panic over the rising prices of rice as she said there is sufficient supply which will be boosted by the upcoming harvest and the rice imported from Vietnam, Thailand and Pakistan.

She acknowledged that the rising prices of rice are putting a strain on everyone, especially the poor.

She told a meeting of the Cabinet and the National Anti-Poverty Commission-National Economic and Development Authority that the government has come up with a three-phased plan to ensure steady supply, proper distribution, and tough law enforcement to protect the people against gouging and corruption.

On supply, Arroyo said supply "is secure for the foreseeable future," saying that apart from a 500,000 metric tons of rice from Vietnam and Thailand that have already arrived, another 700,000 tons are expected until June from Vietnam, Thailand and Pakistan.

Public biddings are set for April 17, covering some 500,000 tons for delivery from May to July and another tender in May for 500,000 tons for delivery from June to August.

On distribution, Arroyo said government is continuously drawing up measures to ensure prompt delivery of supply at the least possible cost. These include enlisting the help of the religious groups and public schools.

On law enforcement, Arroyo said she is leading the campaign against rice diversion. "Anyone caught stealing rice from the people will be thrown in jail."

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said another measure to ensure the public’s accessibility to rice is an agreement being drawn up with big corporations which provide rice to their employees.

Yap said this is similar to the Marcos government’s "corporate farming" program under which corporations and partnerships with at least 500 employees were required to supply the rice and/or corn requirements of their employees.

Yap said another measure aimed at boosting the rice supply is lifting the quantitative restriction (QR) ceiling to enable bigger private sector participation in the importation of rice and even corn.

Agriculture assistant secretary Joy Javelosa said the allowed QR ceiling volume for private sector for 2008 is 300,000 metric tons.

Yap said under the scheme, the National Food Authority would import the rice on behalf of the private traders for a fee. The private traders would have a chance to avail of the tax expenditure subsidy program which will reduce the corresponding tariff on imported rice that is imposed on the traders.

Details are being finalized, he said.

The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas said lifting the ceiling is useless because the private sector has imported less than 10 percent of the 300,000-ton ceiling in the past two years.

"By lifting the rice import quotas, the Binondo cartel will have all the chance to legalize their rice smuggling operations… only the cartel has that much money to buy rice from the international market," said Rafael Mariano, KMP chairman.

Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo said the rice problem is already three weeks old but the administration has yet to offer concrete steps to arrest it.

"The Filipino people are getting fed up and now begin to understand that Ms. Arroyo’s ouster from power is a way out of the increasing hunger and poverty aggravated by the unabated rice crisis," he said.

"Ms Arroyo has consciously ignored farmers’ demand for policy review and continues to use and promote the neoliberal economics which has proven to be a failure worldwide," he added.

Laoag (Ilocos Norte) Bishop Sergio Utleg criticized government for continuously resorting to rice importation instead of implementing genuine land reform.

He said government should help Filipino farmers instead of those in Thailand and Vietnam.

Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim said rice retailers and traders who have threatened to launch a "rice holiday" would be stripped of their business licenses.

"The situation calls for us to help mitigate the problem of rice shortage, not add to it. I am appealing to rice traders to make the staple, particularly the NFA variety, available to the public," he said. – With Randy Nobleza and Gerard Naval