Senatorial aspirant Kiko Pangilinan, who was once the presidential assistant for food security and agricultural modernization, promised to bring down rice inflation if he gets elected to the Senate.
In a speech in Dumaguete City on Saturday, March 22, the former senator took pride in having lowered rice inflation to less than 1% during his tenure as the Aquino administration’s food security czar.
“At yan ang isa sa pangunahing dahilan kung (bakit) ako ay muling tumakbo dahil nagawa na natin ng paraan para maibaba, ma-manage ang kabuuang inflation sa buong bansa dahil sa pag-manage natin ng rice supply (And that’s one of the main reasons why I am running again because we found a way to manage the overall inflation in the country because of how we managed the rice supply),” he said.
In order to bring down rice inflation during the Aquino administration, Pangilinan recalled weeding out the root of corruption by going after rice hoarders, overcharging middlemen, and blacklisted traders.
“Kung nagawa natin noon, kayang gawin ngayon (If we did it before, we can do it now),” Pangilinan added.
He lamented how Filipinos could no longer make ends meet today with the minimum wage, and that P1,000 could barely buy enough.
But during his tenure as food security secretary, Pangilinan remembered that P1,000 can go a long way.
“In one year, we were able to manage the rice supply inflation. Ask any economist, kapag napababa mo ang rice supply issue at napababa mo ang presyo ng bigas, susunod na rin ang ibang presyong pagkain at bilihin (when you are able to reduce the rice supply issue and reduce the prices of rice, the prices of other food items will also go down),” he added.
Since rice is the “biggest product in our food basket” with some 117 million Filipinos eating it, the former senator explained that rice prices dictate the prices of sugar, cooking oil, coffee, onions, and tomatoes.
In order to bring down rice inflation during the Aquino administration, Pangilinan recalled weeding out the root of corruption by going after rice hoarders, overcharging middlemen, and blacklisted traders.
He also cancelled the business permits of rice hoarders, forcing them to release their supply of rice so combined with the National Food Authority’s (NFA) rice supply, he managed to achieve “the lowest inflation” in the whole Philippines in 20 years.
“In one year, we were able to manage the rice supply inflation. Ask any economist, kapagnapababa mo ang rice supply issue at napababa mo ang presyo ng bigas, susunod na rin ang ibang presyong pagkain at bilihin.”
“Kaya madaming nabibili ang P1,000 at P500 noon (That’s why P1,000 and P500 can buy a lot before),” the former senator stressed.
He also rejected the overpriced imported rice from Thailand and Vietnam, leading to P7 billion worth of government savings in rice purchases.
“Nakatipid tayo dahil walang korapsyon (We were able to save because there was no corruption),” Pangilinan said.
He expressed hopes that similar to how the executive department was convinced to arrest dismissed ex-Bamban Mayor Alice Guo and to crack down on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), it could also be persuaded to look into the high food prices.
“Kaya rin sa masusing imbestigasyon na busisiin kung bakit mataas ang presyo ng pagkain at isulong at itulak na kumilos ang executive department para mapababa pa ito at kaya arestuhin ang rice and food inflation sa bansa (Through thorough investigation, we can also examine why the prices of food are high and push the executive department to lower and arrest rice and food inflation in the country),” he pointed out.
