The House Committee on Agriculture and Food has approved a substitute joint resolution authorizing the use of rice subsidy for the purchase of palay from local farmers to protect them from the recent liberalization of rice importation.
The still-unnumbered joint resolution is a consolidation of House Joint Resolution 16 and House Resolution 322, that urge the departments of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Interior and Local Government, National Defense, Transportation, and Environment and Natural Resources, and the local government units, in coordination with National Food Authority (NFA) and the Department of Agriculture to directly buy palay from the local farmers for the rice subsidy program.
House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez and his wife, Tingog party-list Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez–authors of HR 322–said the government can use the allocation of P33.9 billion for rice subsidies in the 2019 General Appropriations Act, the largest of which is given to the beneficiaries of the DSWD under the “Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
“The remaining allocations of P2.89 billion for the rice subsidy programs of military uniformed personnel can also be utilized.”
They added that the remaining allocations of P2.89 billion for the rice subsidy programs of military uniformed personnel, such as the provision of 20 kilos of rice per month, in the form of financial assistance, to the uniformed personnel of the Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force, Philippine Navy, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine National Police, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, and the Bureau of Fire Protection can also be utilized.
They also noted that President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the NFA to spend their budget of P7 billion for procuring palay from local farmers to provide immediate support and assistance to the local rice industry.