00:00 Some congressmen encouraged the recommendation of the Department of Agriculture to raise rice.
00:07 You want to follow up? You want to ask DFA to ask Vietnam, Thailand and India?
00:14 And then you want to extend EO10 to lower the tariff of imported rice?
00:24 You are just importing rice. Your recommendation is a flag of surrender.
00:30 I need to ask Australia to help me because importation is not always the answer.
00:35 That hunger in Metro Manila went up from 10.7 to 15.7 because of our dependence on imports.
00:42 Because imports are more expensive than local production.
00:48 That is more, I think, that is the gut issue here.
00:52 Our rice prices, our rice production, our entire rice demand and supply and pricing dynamics has resulted in an increase in hunger.
01:01 The DA's recommendation is to raise the private sector's 300,000 metric tons of rice by the end of August
01:09 and add 300,000 metric tons from the first to the second week of September.
01:14 The DA also recommended to raise the private sector's 500 metric tons from November 15 to the third week of January
01:22 as a preparation for the effects of El Niño.
01:25 This includes the issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance by the Bureau of Plant Industry
01:30 within seven days and the creation of a super green lane for imported rice until February.
01:36 Agriculture Undersecretary Mercedita Zumbilla also explained that this is not long-term.
01:41 The rice that is imported is just a few.
01:44 These recommendations are just really to stop gap.
01:48 What the DA is really doing is to really increase our production.
01:55 But during this period, there are limitations.
01:58 There is a period limit so that the price of our rice will not really increase.
02:05 But the DA's recommendation is really under production.
02:09 Undersecretary Lucadio Sebastian also said that they will change their strategy.
02:14 We should focus on improving the productivity of our local production.
02:19 And that is actually what we aim to do.
02:22 We now have to recognize that we have to adapt to climate change.
02:27 Whether we like it or not, we have to change one of the...
02:32 If you will support us, Mr. Chair, we would like to move our main rice crop from the wet season to the dry season.
02:42 According to the DA, they are already consulting the National Irrigation Administration
02:46 to maximize rice production during this time that will help in lean months.
02:51 If not included in the ending stock last year,
02:54 the production of rice is estimated at 13.1 million metric tons this year.
02:59 The estimated 14.83 million metric tons demand is lower.
03:04 That is why the Sinag Group called for local rice production support
03:08 to help farmers and avoid relying on importation.
03:13 Rod Laguzad, for the people.
03:16 Thank you.
03:17 [BLANK_AUDIO]
