Former Agriculture secretary weighs in on govt initiative to sell rice at P20/kilo

The Manila Times

Former Agriculture secretary weighs in on govt initiative to sell rice at P20/kilo  Former Agriculture secretary Arthur Yap, now seeking a congressional seat, weighs in on the Department of Agriculture’s initiative to sell rice at P20 per kilo, which is a key campaign promise of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in 2022. In a press conference with Cebu media on Friday, May 2, 2025, Yap, who is traveling around Cebu, acknowledged the intent behind the move, saying he 'understands what they are trying to do,' but emphasized that the agency should instead focus on boosting farmers’ productivity. Yap, first nominee of the Murang Kuryente Partylist, also asserted that the Department of Trade and Industry should take the lead in implementing rice-selling policies to ensure 'consumer protection.' Yap's partylist aims to ease the burden of high electricity costs, including by exploring renewable energy sources.  VIDEO BY KAISER JAN FUENTES  Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe  Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net     Follow us:  Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook  Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram  Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter  DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion    Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital    Check out our Podcasts:  Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify  Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts  Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic  Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer  Stitcher: https://tmt.ph/stitcher Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein   #themanilatimes #tmtnews #philippines

Transcript

00:00I know what the Department of Agriculture is trying to do.

00:05What they're trying to do is to bring down the consumer prices.

00:12But I think that that mandate belongs to the Department of Trade.

00:17Consumer Protection.

00:19I think the Department of Agriculture must focus on expanding agriculture productivity.

00:27So, while I agree that lowering prices is very important to alleviate the suffering of our people,

00:37I also want to be fair.

00:39Aho nga ang advice na ako sa DA, ayaw palimpin ang original mandate na ito.

00:47Ang mandate na ito is tabangan ng mga farmers.

00:50So, kinahanglan, balansin mo na ito para pa.

00:54We want to lower prices.

00:57But what's more important is increasing the supply.

01:00It's like power.

01:02If limited ang supply sa power, magpabilin ang tax.

01:06The same way kung magpabilin ang supply sa rice at limited,

01:10hindi na ito ma-increase ang per hectare yield na ito,

01:14the price will remain high.

01:16So, we have to focus on growing the sector.

01:20Number one.

01:21Number two.

01:22Let us be fair to our farmers.

01:24Kung muiuntang at 20 peso rice,

01:26but pasabot ang humayten.

01:28So, is that what we want?

01:30Di ba ang importante para nato is increase income sa atong mga magutama?

01:36Para maalhag nato silang na magpabilin sa agriculture.

01:40Kung di li, of course, they will leave agriculture.

01:42And we will be dead in the long term.

01:44So, as much as I understand what the Department of Agriculture is doing,

01:50ang kosyon na ako is please do not forget.

01:53Ang first priority nato is tambangan ng atong mga farmers.

01:58But I understand it's a very, very difficult question.

02:02It would kay Taghalman ang naminahanglan sa affordable foods.

02:06It's a very difficult question.

02:07But as I say, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan are always visited by mga lino.

02:15Visited sa mga typhoon, sa mga calamities.

02:18Kapan sila na sila'y strong, puso'y independent na nuclear power growth.

02:23Why is it that the Philippines did not do that?

02:26I want to reopen.

02:28I wanted to do nirang korentes advocacy

02:31to file a bill within 90 days in the next 20 days.

02:36File a bill to now reopen sa national nuclear power growth.

02:41Sir, ibigyan po tayo ng patikatao na kalarin po

02:46ng elections po.

02:47Sa tingin niyo po ba, mas makakadali yung implementation

02:50ng mga gusto ko natin mga proposals.

02:53Especially that the President himself is also open to nuclear energy

02:58and also renewable energy din po.

03:00I will be perfect.

03:02Nirang korentes kaya na promise

03:04that it will be faster in a museum.

03:07But at least,

03:09if nirang korentes gets collected,

03:11you have an advocate

03:13who will focus on the issue.

03:15And somebody,

03:16you can hold accountable

03:18to the museum power rates

03:20and independent power supply in the community.

03:23And I promise,

03:25that he will try.

03:26He will try.

03:27He will try.

03:28He will try.

03:29He will try.

03:30He will try.

03:31He will try.

03:32He will try.

03:33He will try.

03:34He will try.

03:35Oh, we're ending.

03:36We've been here since yesterday.

03:38I have to leave by this afternoon.

03:42Anyway,

03:43it's last 10 days already.

03:45So technically,

03:46this is already last attempts.

03:48Last attempts to get the consumers to understand.

03:52the consumers to understand.

04:22order.

04:23The customers

04:24who are rich

04:25their shareholders

04:28icles.

04:29They leave the companies

04:31often,

04:32they pickför

04:33away the same olimgrinds

04:34that

04:34they put the actors

04:49in and out that sides

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