Latest news with #ArneldeMesa
GMA Network
21 hours ago
- Business
- GMA Network
DA assures sufficient supply for P20/kg rice program
The current rice stock of the National Food Authority (NFA) is enough to cover and sustain the P20 per kilogram subsidized rice program until the end of the year, the Department of Agriculture (DA) assured Saturday. Agriculture spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa gave the assurance in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB, saying that the current NFA inventory stands at 400,000 metric tons (MT), which is equivalent to 250 million kilograms of rice. The P20 per kilogram rice program is currently being rolled out to vulnerable sectors, and has been recently expanded to minimum wage earners. Households of qualified beneficiaries may purchase up to 30 kilograms of rice per month. "At 10 kilos per individual per month, so that's about 1.2 million kilos per month, Weng. Sa supply meron tayo sa NFA ngayon, currently at 400,000 metric tons. So ang initial na ina-allocate diyan ay 250,000 metric tons at puwede pang madagdagan 'yan. So 'yung 1.2 million kilos can easily be supplied nitong programa natin, assuming hanggang December, can easily be supplied," De Mesa said. (At 10 kilos per individual per month, that's about 1.2 millions in total per month. Our current NFA supply stands at 400,000 metric tons. So the initial allocation is 250,000 metric tons, and more can be added. So the 1.2 million kilos for our program, assuming until December, can be easily supplied.) Aside from the P20 per kilogram rice program, the DA has also rolled out rice at P29 to P33 per kilogram in Kadiwa stores. Meanwhile, De Mesa said the country has enough rice supply for its food requirements, even with the expected rains in the coming months. "Kasi yung last inventory natin [noong] December, puwede tayong itawid hanggang anihan; tapos nag-anihan tayo, so we have sufficient supply hanggang sa susunod na harvest in time sa ating lean months, normally mid-July, mid-July o mid-August," De Mesa said. (Our last inventory last December showed that we have enough until the harvest season; then we have harvests coming in, so we have sufficient supply until the next harvest in time for the lean months, normally mid-July or mid-August.) The Agriculture spokesperson's statement comes a day after the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) declared the start of the Habagat or southwest monsoon season in the country. According to De Mesa, the current rice import level for May 2025 stands at about 1.7 million to 1.9 million metric tons. "[The rice imports] plus 'yung harvest natin na ongoing sa ibang lugar, we have sufficient, at coming pa sa imbentaryo natin last December na ending inventory natin, we have sufficient rice," he said. (The rice imports plus the ongoing harvests in some areas allow us to have a sufficient supply. Plus with our ending inventory last December, we have sufficient rice.) — VDV, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
a day ago
- Business
- GMA Network
DA: Most of minimum wage earners in P20/kg rice program from Bicol
Bulk of the 120,000 minimum wage earners who will benefit from the government's P20 per kilogram rice program come from the Bicol Region, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Saturday. In an interview on Super Radyo dzBB, DA spokesman Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said the identified program beneficiaries are based on a list provided by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). "Nakipag ugnayan kami sa aming AMAS (Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division) at sabi nila mayroon nang listahang naibigay. 'Yun nga, 120,000, at ang karamihan nasa list na maraming minimum wage earners ay sa Bicol area," De Mesa said. (We have already coordinated with our AMAS (Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division) and they said a list has already been provided. There were 120,000 in the list, most of whom are minimum wage earners in the Bicol area.) The DA and DOLE on Tuesday "agreed in principle" to include minimum wage earners in the ongoing pilot run of the subsidized rice program. As an initiative under the Kadiwa ng Pangulo program, the P20 per kilogram rice campaign allows members of vulnerable sectors to purchase rice from the National Food Authority (NFA) at the subsidized price. Indigents, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and solo parents are among the program beneficiaries. The Food Terminal Inc. and DA regional field offices, De Mesa said, are in charge of distribution. De Mesa said the DA depends on the list provided by DOLE, being the authority with regard to the labor sector. However, De Mesa said the Agriculture Department was open to including workers in the informal sector—such as those who have seasonal jobs—in the micro, small, and medium (MSME) sector. "Puwede po natin isunod 'yung mga ganyan sa pakikipagtulungan sa mga local governments kung 'di sila organized under the system of Department of Labor," De Mesa said. (These workers can be also be among the next beneficiaries, in coordination with local governments if in case they are not organized under the system of the Department of Labor.) Priority areas The next phase for the P20 per kilogram rollout targets areas with high poverty incidence, such as key areas in Mindanao. "Sa susunod na phases natin sa Phase 2, priority talaga diyan 'yung mga lugar na mataas ang poverty incidence. Kagaya ng Zamboanga del Norte nga, almost 38%, ibig sabihin 4 sa 10 tao mahirap sa lugar na iyon. And then sa Basilan, actually sa may BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) area, masyadong marami mahirap doon. 'Yun 'yung mga susunod na priority," De Mesa said. (In our next phases under Phase 2, the government is prioritizing areas where poverty incidence is high. Like in Zamboanga del Norte, where the number is almost 38%—meaning 4 of 10 people in that area are poor. And then in Basilan, actually all of BARMM, there are really many poor there. That is the next priority.) The Agriculture Department is aiming to sustain the program until the end of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos' term in June 2028, potentially covering up to 15 million households—or approximately 60 million Filipinos. Marcos recently assured that his administration would be able to sustain the program, saying "we'll talk in May of 2028" if the intended results were indeed achieved. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
4 days ago
- Business
- GMA Network
DA recommends keeping 15% tariff on imported rice
Workers at the National Food Authority (NFA) warehouse in Quezon City stack sacks of rice that arrived from Vietnam, June 27, 2018. GMA News file photo The Department of Agriculture (DA) has recommended retaining the 15% tariff on imported rice to help mitigate the effects of inflation in local prices. In a public briefing on Wednesday, DA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said that they aim on lowering the effects of inflation throughout the agricultural industry. 'Napakaimportante yan sa buong ekonomiya ng ating bansa, at masigurado din natin na maging tuloy-tuloy ang mga programa natin na mas mababang presyo ng bilihin di lamang ng bigas kundi iba pang agricultural commodities,' said de Mesa. (It is very important to the economy of the entire country, and we should ensure that our programs to lower the prices of commodities will continue, not just rice but other agricultural commodities.) He further said that the majority of every P100 that poor Filipino families spend were used to purchase rice. 'Mga 25% kasi ng bigas na kino-consume natin ay imported. So, kung mapapanatili natin na mababa ang taripa at 15%, mas masisigurado natin na yung pangkalahatang presyo ng bigas ay mas magiging matatag at hindi makakaapekto sa price spikes kung magkakaroon man. Yung inflation overall natin, mapapanatili nating mababa kung mananatiling mababa presyo ng bigas,' he added. (About 25% of the rice we consume is imported. So, if we keep the tariff low at 15%, we can better ensure that the overall price of rice will remain stable and won't affect any price spikes. We can keep or overall inflation lower if we keep the price of rice low.) DA said that they consider the price of rice in international markets, exchange rates, logistics costs from the port of origin, and productivity in the country when considering rice tariffs. 'Napakaimportante lalo na sa panahon ng lean months, ay masigurado natin na yung imported na bigas ay maganda ang presyuhan para di maapektuhan din yung presyo ng local na supply natin. Yung timing is really important to make sure natin na mapapanatili natin na matatag ang presyuhan ng bigas,' he said. (It is very important, especially in the lean months, that we ensure that the price of important rice will not affect the price of our local supply. The timing is really important to make sure that we keep rice pricing stable.) Assistance programs by the government, such as the implementation of the P20-per-kilo rice programs, continue regardless of the tariffs. President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. ordered the lowering of imported rice tariffs from 35% to 15% on June 20, 2024. The decision faced backlash from several farmers' groups, who filed a petition for certiorari to declare the lowering of tariffs 'unconstitutional' and nullify the order. In December 2024, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) also said that the lowered tariffs did not affect or lower the price of imported rice. — BM, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
17-05-2025
- Health
- GMA Network
DA: It will take 2-3 years before local hog population returns to pre-ASF levels
The controlled vaccination of hogs is ongoing, the Agriculture Department says. It will take another two to three years before the Philippines' swine population returns to its pre-African swine fever (ASF) levels, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA). Interviewed on Super Radyo dzBB on Saturday, DA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said that the Agriculture Department is already seeing signs of recovery in the local hog industry. 'Tatagal ito ng two to three years,' de Mesa said. (This will last for two to three years.) The DA official said the controlled vaccination of hogs is ongoing and 'naging maganda ang resulta sa mga lugar na nagkaroon ng bakuna (the results were favorable in areas where vaccination was made available).' The DA is now awaiting the approval of the FDA for its clearance for the commercial rollout of the ASF vaccine, possibly later this year, before implementing an aggressive repopulation plan that should bring back domestic production to pre-ASF levels by 2028. 'Naghihintay na lang tayo ng kumpirmasyon mula sa FDA (Food and Drug Administration) para sa commercial release,' he said. (We are just waiting for the confirmation from FDA for its commercial release.) Since the first outbreak in 2019, the national hog inventory has declined from approximately 13 million heads to less than nine million heads. The vaccine will significantly enhance the likelihood of success for the repopulation program, according to the DA. —KG, GMA Integrated News
