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Ni ROMEO ALLAN BUTUYAN II
BAGO pa umarangkada ang bisa ng direktibang kaltas-taripa sa imported rice ng Pangulo, inilahad ng pamunuan ng Kamara ang pagsasagawa ng komprehensibong hakbang alinsunod sa layunin ng administrasyon – hilahin pababa ang presyo ng bigas sa mga pamilihan.
Sa isang kalatas, partikular na tinukoy ni House Speaker Martin Romualdez ang “comprehensive strategy” katuwang ang iba’t ibang ahensya ng pamahalaan at mga stakeholders sa pagtugon sa pasakit na dulot ng mataas na bentahan ng bigas.
“We’re all trying to coordinate so we can afford the consumers’ quality and affordable rice – yan ang goal. So everyone is involved, we’re talking to and making sure that coordinated po tayo kasi the President has already given his mandate and that is his desire because that is the best for the people. So we’re all on board,” pahayag ni Romualdez matapos ang pulong kasama ang mga opisyales ng Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Bureau of Customs (BOC), at iba pa kabilang kinatawan mula sa pribadong sektor.
Bahagi rin ng pulong sina Quezon 1st District Rep. Mark Enverga, na siyang chairman ng House Committee on Agriculture and Food, at Deputy Majority Leader for Communications Rep. Erwin Tulfo (ACT-CIS partylist).
“There’s a commitment that the President and the administration is all out here to support the drive to make sure that quality rice is affordable and is ubiquitous. Kumbaga kahit saan, kahit kailan yung magandang de kalidad na bigas sa abot-kayang presyo ay nandyan para sa lahat ng mamamayan,” ani Romualdez.
Tinukoy ng Leyte lawmaker ang papel ng DTI sa pagtiyak ng benepisyo ng tariff cut sa imported rice kabilang ang makaabot ang murang bigas sa mga mamimili sa pamamagitan ng pagsasagawa ng mahigpit naprice monitoring.
“They (DTI) have been the traditional price watch, watchdog kumbaga eh di ba, sila ang parang pulis, to make sure that everyone is following the program and to making sure the suggested retail prices are based on the savings that are passed on to those in the supply chain—from the importers and traders, retailers, sa mga palengke, hanggang umabot sa ating mga consumers,” paliwanag ng lider ng Kamara.
Sa pagtaya ng National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), bababa sa hanggang P29 kada kilo na lang ang bentahan ng bigas sa pamilihan sa sandaling magsimula ang bisa ng tapyas-taripa sa 15% mula sa umiiral na 35%.
Ipinabatid naman ni Enverga ang pagtaya ng Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) kung saan inaasahan ang P5 hanggang P6 kaltas sa presyo kada kilo sa pagsisimula ng tariff cut sa imported rice.
Sa panig ni Tulfo, sinabi niyang may epekto rin ang umiiral na exchange rate ng piso sa dolyar sa kada kilo ng bigas sa mga pamilihan – “Depending on the current exchange rate, which is at P58. So if the dollar goes down, then mas mataas pa doon. It all depends on the exchange rate.”
Tiniyak naman ni Speaker Romualdez ang pakikipag-ugnayan ng Kamara sa Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) partikular ang pangangasiwa sa epekto ng foreign exchange fluctuations.
“Kausap din natin our friends at the BSP, sa Monetary Board. It is also their role to make sure that the foreign exchange is kept at reasonable levels,” aniya pa.
“So the BSP has, time and again, very quietly but steadily, been at the forefront to safeguard against any abrupt changes in forex and to absorb the shocks,” dugtong ng lider ng Kamara.
Binanggit din ng Speaker ang ambag ng mga retailers, na nagbigay ng kanilang pangakong makikinabang ang mga konsyumer sa inisyatiba ng administrasyon at ng Kamara.
“We have engaged with retailers, including KADIWA stores for marginalized sectors and other retail outlets like Puregold, SM, and Robinsons, to ensure the reduction in prices. The lower tariffs will result in lower prices for imported rice, and these savings will be passed on to consumers,” paglalahad pa ng Leyte solon.
“This is not just a whole-of-government approach, but a whole-of-nation approach.”
Garantiya ni Romualdez, mararamdaman ang resulta ng rice tariff reduction sa lalong madaling panahon – o bago pa man sumapit ang takdang petsa ng ikatlong State of the Nation Address ni Pangulong Ferdinand marcos Jr. sa Hulyo 22.
“We want this to happen as soon as possible. That’s why we’ve been meeting and we want this to be felt as soon as possible. Hindi pwede na aantok-antok tayo, patulog-tulog lang, we have to be always on the ball.”
“Every day, as every Filipino family has to purchase, let’s say, two kilos of rice, we know and we can feel the hardships of our fellow Filipinos. That’s why we’ve sprung into action. We want to meet this head-on. Obviously, it would be very desirable for this to happen even before the SONA. And I don’t think it’s impossible. We will all try to work together to make it happen as soon as possible,” pahabol ni Romualdez.
