Mar Roxas offered unsolicited advice to President Duterte on what to do regarding the rice crisis.

Former DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government) Secretary Mar Roxas offered unsolicited advice to President Rodrigo Duterte to address the current rice crisis.

According to Roxas, it is now time to set aside their political views and the fact that they are from different political parties.

It can be recalled that the politician from Visayas was one of Duterte‘s opponents during the 2016 elections.

(Photo source: INQUIRER)

On his recent Facebook post, Mar Roxas enumerated the possible ways that the President can do regarding the rice crisis.

He said that “only a massive and immediate additional supply of rice can bring down prices to affordable levels.” 

Then, Roxas wrote down the solutions he has in mind in order to lower down the high price.

Here are his suggestions to President Duterte.

1. Instruct that Minimum Access Volume be increased to 1.5 million metric tons.

2. Remove the usual bs imposed by NFA so as to allow any and all in the private sector to import rice

3. Proactively ask Jollibee, McDo, Mang Inasal, SM, grocery, and supermarket chains, and all large users to independently source and import their own needs para di na sila makihati pa sa national stockpile.

In the short term this will: 
a) provide a definite physical buffer
b) put a definite timeframe for when supply tightness will end 
c) induce hoarders to release their stocks bago maiipit sila

In addition, Mar Roxas said that Duterte could consider adding all farmer families to the CCT program to ease the farmers plight.

(Photo source: vodhotnews.com)

The former DILG Secretary also suggested two additional ways for medium term .

He said that the President could “repeal TRAIN as it pertains to fuel and other basic commodities” and “promote industrialized farming so we increase capital investment.”