MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Cynthia Villar clapped back at Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol for claiming that the National Food Authority (NFA) would no longer be able to sell rice at a low price once the Rice Tariffication Bill had been enacted. In a statement issued on Friday, Villar that it was President Rodrigo Duterte himself who gave the assurance that NFA would still sell cheap rice even with the impending enactment of the proposal. ADVERTISEMENT“President Duterte said that even with rice tariffication and liberalization of the rice industry, the NFA shall continue to provide the public particularly the less fortunate with rice that is affordable and safe,” Villar said. Accoroding to previous reports, Duterte will soon sign the Rice Tariffication Bill into law, nearly a month after the bicameral conference committee approved it. This will allow private traders to import grains from the country of their choice — not limited to grains from local farmers.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer December 21, 2018 14:03 UTC