Roque: Stop blame game over rice problems

Malacañang on Wednesday advised officials of the National Food Authority (NFA) and its policy-making body, the NFA Council, against blaming each other for the country’s insufficient rice supply and its increased prices.

In a congressional hearing Tuesday, NFA officer-in-charge Tomas Escarez blamed “the bureaucracy” at the NFA Council for the delayed arrival of imported rice to prevent the stock from depleting.

Escarez said the NFA requested for rice importation as early as October 2017 but the NFA Council only approved it in May this year.
However, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary Ruth Castelo, a member of the NFA Council, said it was NFA’s fault for submitting its rice supply inventory late.

Castelo also blamed the NFA for making a declaration of rice shortage which led to a spike in rice prices.

“Hindi po dapat nagsisisihan (They should stop blaming each other),” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in an interview over DZRH.

SOURCES: Azer Parrocha/PNA; http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1046301; Malacañang urges NFA, council to stop blame game on rice woes By PTV News - CD - August 29, 2018; ptvnews.ph/malacanang-urges-nfa-council-stop-blame-game-rice-woes/