Inatasan ni Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ang Department of Agriculture (DA) at Department of Budget and Management (DBM) na palawakin ang coverage ng P29 Rice at Rice-for-All Programs, sa ilalim ng Kadiwa ng Pangulo Program, upang maibaba pa ang presyo ng bigas.
Kung matatandaan, limitado pa rin sa kasalukuyan ang sakop o operasyon ng Rice for All at P29 Rice programs dahil sa kakaunting Kadiwa outlets.
“Over a 13-week period, a total of 704,126 kilograms of rice were sold through the P29 Program at various Kadiwa centers, serving 140,827 households. Estimated gross sales of farmers and fisherfolk cooperatives and associations (FCAs) reached P20.42 million. In the same period, the total income for FCAs selling the RFA reached PhP117,858.90.” -PCO.
Si Pangulong Marcos, nakipagpulong na sa mga opisyal ng DA at National Irrigation Administration (NIA) upang talakayin ang mga hakbang sa pagpapanatili ng mababang presyo ng bigas.
“During the meeting, the President was requested to utilize P29 Program’s P5-B allocation for the RFA to finance logistics repair and rehabilitation of government facilities and warehouses where Kadiwa centers may be set up.” -PCO.
Hinikayat ng Malacañang ang DA na makipagtulungan sa Department of Finance (DOF) at National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) upang matutukan ang mga pangunahing dahilan kung bakit mataas na presyo ng bigas.
Halimbawa ang pagtaas sa gastos sa farm input at iba pang environmental factors.
Bukod dito, hinihikayat din ang LGUs na ipatupad ang palay buying schemes upang matiyak ang sapat na imbentaryo ng bigas sa bansa.
Kailangan kasi munang matugunan ng pamahalaan ang kakulangan ng rice supply, upang mapalawig sa iba pang benepisyaryo ang PhP29 Rice Program, tulad sa uniformed personnel, medical frontliners, at indigenous people.
“The large-scale trial of P29 Program, an enhanced program that would make affordable and accessible low-priced rice available and sustainable, is set until December 2025. The NFA said the actual volume procured for the January to October 2024 period is placed at 6,472,299 bags with a performance rate of 72.65 percent based on the 8,908,860 bags cumulative target for 2024, a palay procurement that is first time in almost a decade for the agency. The agency is set to exceed its palay procurement target for 2024.” -PCO. | ulat ni Racquel Bayan
