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Sen. Mar Roxas called on the Department of Agriculture to assess the
impact of typhoon damage— amounting to half a billion pesos and
causing the loss of crops in 300,000 hectares in Western Visayas and
12 other provinces—on the country’s dwindling rice supply.
“It’s not enough to know the damage in peso
terms but on how this will manifest itself in terms of rice and food
prices and supply. Let’s be more open and transparent about this
and other problems, to come up with an integrated plan for
rehabilitation and mobilization of resources in the wake of Typhoon
Frank,” he said.
Roxas has been aiding in and coordinating with
different agencies on relief and rehabilitation efforts in Capiz and
Iloilo since Friday.
The Chairman of the Senate trade and commerce
committee, said the external shock of a global rice crisis combined
with the internal shock of a major typhoon disaster requires a long
and hard look at existing strategies and the need for long-term
programs to avert a more acute rice and food shortage.
“Typhoon Frank shows how vulnerable our food
supply and its affordability are to internal shocks caused by
weather disturbances and natural calamities. All the more we need to
invest in our farmers and make sure that they get the support needed
to recover from this latest setback,” he added.
Roxas also called on the Department of Trade and
Industry to activate the National Price Coordinating Council as an
initial step to preventing unjustified price increases of goods and
services by unscrupulous traders.
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