BY PRINCE GOLEZ
Manila Reporter
MANILA – The government is taking steps to ensure that food prices stabilize.
“Surveillance is being carried out to discourage hoarding and other practices that could lead to artificial shortage,” Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said.
Hoarders most especially of rice will be penalized, he warned.
“We need to address the supply situation most importantly because a stable supply is the best deterrent to artificial shortages and unusual spike in prices,” Coloma said.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is also monitoring price movements of rice, garlic and ginger, he added.
The National Price Coordinating Council, on the other hand, has suggested retail prices on food.
“Kailangang ipatupad ang batas, at kung ano man ang igagawad na kaparusahan, pananagutin natin ang mga (violators),” he stressed.
Meanwhile, militant party-list group Bayan Muna criticized the government’s “band-aid solutions” to the rising prices of agricultural products.
They said that the deployment of rolling stores is not a long-term solution to the problem.
“These are very limited and designed more as a showcase to say that they are doing something,” said Bayan Muna’s Cong. Neri Colmenares.
Stopping import liberalization is the “real” solution, added Colmenares.
“The government should immediately stop the government policy of agricultural import liberalization which undermines locally-produced agricultural products,” he stressed./PN
