Mr. Marcos assures P25/kilo NFA supply amid reduced importation
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has assured the public the National Food Authority (NFA) has enough rice to supply government-run Kadiwa stores during the holiday season even if the country has supposedly cut the importation of the staple commodity.
This developed as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said it would rebrand the Kadiwa program by January to reflect it new status as a year-round endeavor, not just one for Christmas.
Also, the draft executive order (EO) extending the reduced tariff rates on imported pork, rice, corn, and coal from this year to the entire 2023 is now up for Mr. Marcos’ approval, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said Saturday.
The President inspected an NFA warehouse in Valenzuela City on Saturday on the sidelines of his visit to the Kadiwa ng Pasko site at the Malanday Covered Court, one of 350 state-run food markets all over the country.
Mr. Marcos said he wants to make sure there is sufficient rice supply that will be sold at cheaper prices in all Kadiwa outlets.
“This is already the season that we bring out more rice, so we want to make sure that Kadiwa stores have enough commodities that are being sold at a good price of P25 a kilo,” he said.
“I am checking the source of rice being sold at Kadiwa stores. So, I checked the warehouse to know if there is enough supply. There will be more supply,” Mr. Marcos added.
The Kadiwa ng Pasko project aims to help local farmers earn more through a direct farm-to-consumer food supply chain that eliminates marketing layers.
Meanwhile, DTI Assistant Secretary Dominic Tolentino said in a television interview that by January, the project would be rebranded initially as “Kadiwa ng Bawat Filipino” to reflect its year-round duration.
Although the Kadiwa ng Pasko project was piloted for the holiday season, the President said they now intend to continue the program beyond the Christmas season to ease the burden of consumers from the high prices of commodities.
“The Kadiwa ng Pasko project is our way of helping to give you a merrier Christmas this year,” Mr. Marcos said.
“Even after Christmas, we will continue the project so our countrymen will have access to more affordable goods,” he added.
Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual accompanied the President at the Kadiwa launch in Valenzuela City. Pascual has just been reappointed as DTI chief and took his oath of office before Mr. Marcos in Malacañang on Friday.
During the weekly Saturday News Forum at Dapo Restobar in Quezon City, Balisacan said the EO “on the extension of reduced tariffs on the subject commodities of meat of swine, corn, rice, and coal,” was endorsed by National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board to the President on Friday, December 16.
“The extension of the tariff reduction for pork, corn, and rice is up to 31 December 2023, while that for coal goes beyond this date and will be subject to review every semester,” the NEDA chief said.
The proposed EO will extend the validity of EO 171, which will expire on December 31, 2022.
Under EO 171, issued by then President Rodrigo Duterte in May, the tariff rate for both in-quota and out-quota pork shipments were kept at reduced rates of 15% (from 30%) and 25% (from 40%), respectively.
The EO also kept the lower tariff rates for rice at 35% for both in-quota and out-quota imports as well as the reduced duty for corn shipments at 5% (from 35%) for in-quota and 15% (from 50%) for out-quota.
The order, likewise, temporarily removed the 7% tariff on coal imports.
“The extension will provide relief to poor and vulnerable segments of the Filipino population whose welfare is reduced because of high inflation,” Balisacan said.
“Through this policy, we shall augment our domestic food supplies, diversify our sources of food staples, and temper inflationary pressures arising from supply constraints and rising international prices of production inputs due to external conflict,” he added.
