Interior Secretary Mar Roxas 2nd and Presidential Assistant for Food Security and Agriculture Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan inspect bags of rice stored at a warehouse in Muntinlupa City. The company was found to have mixed NFA rice with commercial rice. PHOTO BY EDWIN
Interior Secretary Mar Roxas 2nd and Presidential Assistant for Food Security and Agriculture Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan inspect bags of rice stored at a warehouse in Muntinlupa City. The company was found to have mixed NFA rice with commercial rice. PHOTO BY EDWIN

The price of commercial rice in Metro Manila markets has gone down by P3 per kilo, according to Malacañang.

Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. on Sunday announced that rice retailers agreed to bring down rice prices, specifically in the Camanava (Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela) areas.

“Nagpatupad ng tatlong pisong bawas presyo sa kada kilo ng commercial rice sa Metro Manila simula ngayong Linggo ng umaga [There is a P3 per kilo decrease in the price of commercial rice starting Sunday morning],” Coloma said in a radio interview.

He cited the government’s effort in battling overpricing, manipulation and cartel-like activities, which according to him, led to the confiscation of an estimated 4,000 metric tons of rice.

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The Philippine National Police’s (PNP) Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) seized the grains from three out of 12 warehouses that were investigated.

The CIDG padlocked the warehouses.

Meanwhile, Coloma assured that there will be no increase in the price of flour.

He noted that the government continues to monitor the prices of other agriculture products such as eggs, sugar, poultry and pork.

Coloma said the prices of processed milk are expected go up because the prices of skimmed milk and whole powdered milk have risen in the world market.

The PNP was directed also on Sunday to intensify its campaign against hoarders of rice and other basic commodities.

“I expect the PNP to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to break the operations of criminal groups responsible for hoarding and price manipulation of basic commodities,” Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas 2nd said during an inspection of one of the raided rice mills in Cupang, Muntinlupa City (Metro Manila).

He lauded the CIDG under Director Benjamin Magalong for its operations that led to the discovery of more than 170,000 bags of rice in several rice mills.

“These efforts [against suspected rice hoarders] will definitely jumpstart our campaign to put behind bars those responsible for hoarding and help bring down the cost of food,” Roxas said.

In its website, the Philippine Statistical Authority of the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics said the prevailing retail prices per kilogram of commercial rice as of Thursday (July 3) stood at P40 for regular milled rice, P42 for well milled and P45 for premium rice.

The price of fancy rice was ?50 per kilo.

Figures from the agency’s Price Situationer of Select Agricultural Commodities showed that the prices of rice went up in Cebu City, Zamboanga City and Tuguegarao (capital of Cagayan province), with special rice costing P5 per kilogram more in Baguio, and regular milled rice up by P4 per kilo in Batangas City.