Duterte wants Agriculture Usec to oversee rice importation, to place NFA under his office

April 6, 2018

President Rodrigo Duterte wants Agriculture Undersecretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat to oversee the importation of rice as well as placing the National Food Authority under the Office of the President.

Duterte came out with the decision after meeting with rice traders on Thursday in Malacanang.

"The president expressed his intent to place the National Food Authority (NFA) under the Office of the President," said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque in a statement on Friday.

Contrary to earlier reports that the President ordered the abolition of the NFA Council, Roque said, “It’s NFA that will be transferred to OP with the Council."

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol was earlier quoted as saying Duterte had ordered the abolition of the NFA Council.

"The president is considering the approval of rice importation to be centralized under the Office of DA Undersecretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, subject to the review of the Office of the Executive Secretary," Roque said.

The NFA is under the direct supervision of Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco, who chairs the NFA Council.

But recently, the NFA Council and the NFA management under Jason Aquino had expressed opposing position over the importation of rice, resulting to the depletion of government-subsidized rice buffer stock and increase of the prices of commercial rice.

Roque said during Duterte's meeting with the rice traders, the president promised to give at least 700,000 sacks of rice to replenish NFA stocks sold at P38 per kilo to be sold at P39.

He also said Duterte directed Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade to relieve all Land Transportation Office (LTO) officials and personnel assigned in the truck weighing station in Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya following complaints by truck owners of extortion activities amounting to millions of pesos every month. Celerina Monte/DMS