President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assured the public over the weekend that the country had enough rice supply and that the government was closely monitoring the National Food Authority (NFA) buffer stock ahead of El Niño and other expected calamities.
In his latest vlog, the Chief Executive underscored that the country’s rice supply is still enough after typhoons “Egay” and “Falcon”, including the Southwest Monsoon (habagat) ravaged several parts of the country and damaged the agriculture sector.
For context, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Sunday that the agriculture sector damage and losses due to inclement weather reached an estimated P2.9 billion.
The latest situational data from the NDRRMC showed that the Department of Agriculture recorded billions worth of damages in the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Bangsamoro Region, and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
“We have an ample supply of rice, and there is nothing to worry about,” Marcos said.
“Our farmers should expect that we won’t be importing if the supply here in the Philippines is sufficient. Hopefully, you won’t be worried. We have rice,” he added.
Marcos, who also heads the Department of Agriculture (DA), said the government is ensuring that the NFA increases its buffer stock for several reasons.
The Chief Executive pointed out the increasing number of disasters in the Philippines and that other Southeast Asian countries needed to increase their rice supplies ahead of El Niño, expected to occur either late this year or early 2024.
He added that other countries that export rice, such as India, have begun to restrict or halt their rice exports.
“All of us are preparing for the El Niño. That’s why the challenge is that everyone buys things all at once,” Marcos said.
“We are looking for our friends. Fortunately, I have met many of them during my travels, and we are now in communication. Perhaps, we might be allowed to import from them. However, we will only do so if the supply is not sufficient,” he added.