PRESS Secretary Cerge Remonde said Friday that the reported P4 per kilo hike for every kilo of rice is a "serious concern" as Malacañang called the attention of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to look into it.

Valentine's 2009 blog

Victoria Duray, National Food Authority (NFA) provincial manager in Northern Mindanao, had earlier noted the P2 per kilo increase in the prices of commercial variety rice in Cagayan de Oro and neighboring towns, saying this was unusual on a harvest season.

The NFA official said the food agency will investigate the upward adjustment, which she said might just be a result of disruption in the supply chain during massive relief operations in the January 3 and 11 flashfloods.

Nevertheless, Duray dismissed the specter of yet another series of steep increases in rice prices, saying Northern Mindanao has enough rice supply.

"We will check and monitor this sudden increase [in the price of rice] because, as far as we are concerned, there is no shortage of rice in the province and in the whole region," Duray told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro.

Remonde said it was the first time they heard of it and the Palace would be asking Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap to immediately respond to the situation.

The International Rice Research Institute (Irri) said there would be an increase of P4 for every kilo of commercial rice due to world financial crisis, while the NFA said the rise in the prices is normal since the harvest season is already over.

The NFA added that while the next harvest is still due in March, they have enough supply in their warehouses, which can provide a steady supply of the P18.25 per kilo rice.

Secretary Silvestor Bello III said the prices and supply of rice and other agriculture products would be among the top agenda of the Cabinet on February 10.

Bello said the other topics are the prices and supply of gasoline particularly liquefied petroleum gas, and job security. (Annabelle L. Ricalde/Sunnex)