Emergency powers for drought? nah!

Votester.com.ph - Philippine Political News
Pinoy Henyo - Are you a genius?

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said on Sunday he might recommend that emergency powers for President Arroyo be sought from Congress as there are indications the dry spell could last until the end of the year.

Yap said such powers could allow the President to order the immediate importation of rice to prevent the situation from being exploited by unscrupulous rice traders.

He stressed that he would monitor weather reports in the next two weeks before making his final recommendation.

"I hope the situation will not be politicized or used for political ends, but as I see it in terms of the extended damage that the dry spell will cause, we must act quickly," Yap said in a telephone interview.

"This is about ensuring supply, preventing hoarding and price manipulation," he said.

Luzon accounts for 45 percent of the country’s rice production and 30 to 40 percent fo corn, Yap said.

He said he received disturbing reports from government weather specialists that the dry spell could continue until December at least for provinces in Region 1.

Yap, who has been visiting affected provinces in Luzon since last week, said initial estimates show only half of rain dependent rice fields have been planted and at least 20 percent of the yield from those using irrigation might be damaged.

His visits, including one to Bulacan this week, involve the distribution of more equipment for shallow tube wells to allow those experiencing less irrigation water to benefit.

Yap explained procuring rice under Republic Act 9184 would be too slow to allow the government to intervene in terms of supply and prices. Emergency powers would allow Mrs. Arroyo to order the swift importation of rice.

He pointed out that once there is a perception that there is rice shortage, prices would most likely be manipulated.

The National Food Authority (NFA), he said, can immediately move for "surgical strikes" in areas where there is hoarding or price manipulation through supplying rice if it has enough in its inventory.



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