IS IT? | Marcos says implementation of rice price cap ‘going well’ despite groups’ concerns

September 13, 2023 , 10:36 AM

By Beatrice Puente

(September 13, 2023) – Despite the repeated concerns raised by sectoral groups, President Bongbong Marcos Jr. on Tuesday claimed that the implementation of the rice price ceiling is going well.

Marcos, also the Department of Agriculture (DA) secretary, acknowledged the apprehensions of retailers who did not want to comply with the fixed prices of regular milled rice and well-milled rice but he assured that the government has plans to help them with their needs.

“So far, the implementation and enforcement is going well as we can expect. Siyempre, nag-aalangan din ‘yung ibang retailer at hindi natin (sila) puwedeng sisihin dahil nga hindi sila nakakatiyak sa ating ibibigay na kapalit,” said Marcos in an interview with reporters.

Last July 1, the Malacañang issued Executive Order (EO) No. 39 that set the cost per kilo of regular-milled rice to P41 and well-milled rice to P45. Special and premium rice were not covered by the order.

Department of Finance secretary Benjamin Diokno admitted that the economic team was not consulted before the rice price cap was imposed. Still, he justified Marcos’ order.

“We agree with the president that implementing a price cap on rice can help achieve two objectives: Stabilizing rice prices and extending immediate support to our fellow countrymen,” said Diokno in a statement.

However, many retailers said they will incur heavy losses if the government implements the policy for a long time. One group estimated that they will lose P40,000 per week.

Marcos said the Department of Social Welfare and Development has started providing aid to retailers, who can receive up to P15,000. Almost 6,000 beneficiaries may be considered, according to Marcos, based on the list provided by the Department of Trade and Industry.

“Parang nagkaroon naman ng effect na ‘yung iba na ayaw magtinda muna ng kanilang bigas, dahan-dahang lumalabas na dahil nakakasiguro sila na kahit papaano mayroon silang matatanggap para kapalit doon sa kung malulugi sila dahil sa pagbili nila ng (bigas sa) mataas na presyo,” added Marcos.

During last year’s campaign, Marcos repeatedly proclaimed that rice will be as cheap as P20 per kilo under his leadership.

Aside from retailers, experts stressed that even farmers are bound to be negatively affected by the rice price ceiling since they also have to adjust the farmgate prices of their harvests.

Progressive organizations have called on the government to provide assistance to farmers. They also urged Marcos to address the country’s persisting agricultural woes.

Marcos hasn’t attended meetings of the DA in the past six months, according to senior undersecretary Domingo Panganiban.

“Artificially lowering the retail prices of rice without addressing the high cost of farm inputs and other long-standing problems of the domestic rice industry is counterproductive, and will considerably favor big rice traders, importers, and the rice cartel,” said the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas.

(PM)

Privacy Statement

Our Privacy Commitment

TV5 Network Inc. values and respects your privacy. We are committed to safeguarding your personal data in compliance with Republic Act No. 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and its implementing rules and regulations.

We have developed a Privacy Policy that adopts and observes appropriate standards for personal data protection. While our Privacy Policy sets out the general principles governing the collection, use, and disclosure of our users’ personal information, our Privacy Commitment seeks to inform you more about TV5’s privacy practices.

Why do we collect your personal information (as applicable)?

We may collect and maintain basic information about you as site user of TV5 sites for the following purposes:

To deliver news and updates on current events, sports, esports and entertainment;
To share livestreams of news and sports events;
To understand our viewers’ needs and preferences;
To meet legal and regulatory requirements; and
To perform other processes or disclosures that are required to comply with pertinent laws, rules, or regulations.

Where do we get your personal information?

There are several ways we collect your personal information.

Information that you personally provided.

Most of the personal information we have are those that you have provided us when you:
- Register to our programs or services;
- Inquired, filed a complaint or requested for our services;
- Took part in our research and surveys; and/or
- Became our Partner, Vendor, Contractor or Supplier.

Information we collect during your engagement with us

We also collect information as you use our products and services, like:
- Viewing our websites;
- Activities that are being tracked by our website cookies;
- Calling our hotline;
- Using our apps, websites, and self-service channels and portals; and/or
- Joining our promos, prize raffles, or rewards and loyalty programs.

Information we collect from other sources

Other means of collection of information may be through:
- Our market research initiatives;
- When you visit and use our websites and mobile application; and
- Subsidiaries, affiliates, and third-party business partners to whom you have given consent to share your information to us.

When do we disclose personal information?

There may be instances when we are required to share the information you provided us. In such cases, we ensure that your personal information will be disclosed on a confidential manner, through secure channels and in compliance with the Data Privacy Act and other privacy laws.

We will never share, rent, or sell your personal information to third parties outside of TV5 except in special cases where you have given consent, and in cases described in our privacy policy.

In some instances, we may be required to disclose your personal information to our agents, subsidiaries, affiliates, business partners and other third-party agencies and service providers as part of our regular business operations and for the provision of our programs and services. This means we might share your information with our service providers, contractors, and professional advisers who help us provide our services.

How we protect your personal information

The integrity, confidentiality, and security of your information is important to us. We have implemented technical, organizational, and physical security measures that are designed to protect your information from unauthorized or fraudulent access, alteration, disclosure, misuse, and other unlawful activities.

We also put in effect the following safeguards:

We keep and protect your information using a secured server behind a firewall, encryption and security controls;
We keep your information only for as long as it is necessary for us to (a) provide the products and services that you avail from us, (b) for our legitimate business purposes, (c) to comply with pertinent laws, and (d) for special cases that will require the exercise or defense of legal claims;
We limit the access to your information only to qualified and authorized personnel who are trained to handle your information with strict confidentiality;
We undergo regular audits and rigorous testing of our infrastructure’s security protocols to ensure your data is always protected;
We promptly notify you and the National Privacy Commission when sensitive personal information that may, under the circumstances, be used to enable identity fraud are reasonably believed to have been acquired by an unauthorized person; and
We let you update your information securely to keep our records accurate.

TV5 will not collect, use, or disclose your personal information for any purpose other than the purpose that you may have given your consent for.

What are your choices?

We make sure that we have your consent to continue to collect, use, and disclose your personal information for the purposes that we have identified. We want you to know that you may object or withdraw your consent and/or edit your consent preferences at any time.

If you wish to have access to the personal information in our custody or if you think that the personal information you provided is incomplete, or otherwise inaccurate, you may get in touch with our Data Protection Officer through the contact details provided below. In some instances, we may request for supporting documents or proof before we effect requested changes.

Data Protection Officer
TV5 Network Inc.
Reliance corner Sheridan Streets
Mandaluyong City
tv5dataprivacy@tv5.com.ph

What happens when there are changes in our Policy?

From time to time, we may update our privacy policy and practices to comply with changes in applicable laws and regulatory requirements, adapt to new technologies and protocols, and align with the best practices of the industry.

You will be provided notices if the changes are significant and, if we are required by law, we will obtain your updated consent.