AMID the low supply of rice, District 1 Representative Celso Lobregat is pushing for an increase in production of the staple to ensure food security in Zamboanga City.
Lobregat said Zamboanga City is a net importer of rice since local production is not sufficient to meet the demand, estimated by the National Food Authority (NFA) at 5,000 sacks daily.
He said a declaration of a state of calamity due to rice shortage will not solve the problem. All issues pertaining to the shortage and overpricing must be dealt with, he added.
The Zamboanga City Council on Monday, August 20, passed a resolution recommending the declaration of a state of calamity due to rice shortage.
Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar has yet to approve the resolution.
“The declaration of the state of calamity in the city is an admission that there is really something wrong, this is an economic issue which affects the poorest of the poor, that’s why as an official of the government, I have to initiate moves to address the present crisis,” Lobregat said.
He said the local government should have foreseen the shortage.
He cited the situation in the village of Talisayan, where irrigated rice fields were converted into industrial use to pave the way for the construction of a tin can factory.
He noted that the area that was converted is the site of an ongoing irrigation project.
Lobregat said other highly urbanized cities like Manila and Quezon do not experience rice shortage despite having no rice fields.
Meanwhile, the lawmaker has made representations with National Food Authority (NFA) regional director Genaro Nuñez for the release of additional NFA rice to bring down prices.
Lobregat visited NFA accredited outlets at the waterfront market and Sta. Cruz Commercial Complex to check whether there is sufficient supply of NFA rice.