Tuesday, April 29, 2008 Councilors want rice shortage addressed By Dante M. Fabian
TWO Angeles City councilors have taken the first official moves to address the rice shortage and the rising prices of the staple now prevailing in the country.
Councilors Jesus Sangil and Ruben Maniago have filed a proposed resolution before the City Council pertaining to the rice shortage and rising prices of rice.
Sangil said the government particularly its elected and top officials should now consider serious austerity measures to save public funds and allot more to programs that would improve the country’s rice supply.
He said the present rice crisis has brought increased difficulties to most Angelenos.
Vice Mayor Vicky Vega-Cabigting said the proposed measure was scheduled for discussion by the council in its session last Tuesday.
However, Cabigting said the council did not muster a quorum and adjourned without finishing a single piece of legislation calendared for the day due to the absence of the majority administration bloc.
According to Sangil, the crisis should not be taken lightly, thus officials should take every possible means to save funds and set these aside for projects that could avert a prolonged shortage or its recurrence in the future.
He said public officials should now avoid taking trips abroad in order to enable the government to allocate money for research, production and other requisites to ensure a stable supply of rice in the country.
He said the low supply provided by the National Food Authority (NFA) has even compounded the hardships of residents who cannot afford to buy the commercial rice varieties which are more expensive.
Maniago said improving the rice cropping in the country would accordingly stabilize the supply and the prices of rice.
He added that the government can do so little in keeping the prices of rice at affordable levels because it is highly dependent on supply that comes from other Asian countries.
