Customs to open Bulacan rice warehouses earlier closed amid price probe

More supply of rice will be available in the market in the coming days after the Bureau of Customs (BOC) ordered the opening of several warehouses of rice in Bulacan amid an investigation into the high rice prices.

According to Bernadette Reyes’ Wednesday report on "24 Oras," rice millers, traders, and importers cheered the announcement.

The nine warehouses were closed amid the ongoing probe on the high price of rice and smuggling allegations.

The BOC gave the warehouses 15 days to submit the necessary documents.

“Naghahanap kami ng proof of payment of duties. In the meantime, since kailangan na ng bansa natin yung murang supply ng bigas, bubuskan natin at imomonitor ko yung labas mula sa bodega nila,” said BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio.

(We are looking for their proof of payment of duties. In the meantime, since the country needs an affordable supply of rice, we will open the warehouses and monitor the supply that comes out.)

During their dialogue, the millers, traders and importers repeatedly told the government officials they were not the cause of the spiraling rice prices.

“Ang problema natin it's a national problem. Mahal ang bigas kahit saan tayo magpunta. Sino ang pumapatong? Will you tell us? Retailer ba ang kumikita ng malaki?” Deputy Majority Leader and and ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo said.

(Our problem is a national problem. Rice is costly wherever you go. Who is causing this? Will you tell us? Is it the retailers?)

“Hindi ko alam ang costing ng mga retailer kung bakit sila mataas mag retail kaya kami po pababaan kami ng presyo dito kasi walang bibili sayo kung mahal,” rice miller Rederico Sulit said.

(I don’t know the costing of the retailers or why their prices are costly. We are lowering our price because no one will buy from us if ours is expensive.)

The Department of Agriculture (DA) ordered the submission of the complete list of wholesalers and retailers that are buying from the millers to know who is selling rice at high rates.

To help bring down the price of rice, a group of millers, traders and importers will sell cheaper rice in some wet markets.

According to the Intercity Rice Mill Owners and Traders Association Inc., it sells cheaper rice to wholesalers and retailers so that they can resell it P40 to P45 per kilo in wet markets.

“Let's do 40 muna. Kung sustainable sya sa 36, 38, we will do it,” said Agriculture Secretary  Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.

(Let's do P40 per kilo of rice in the meantime. If it is sustainable at P36 or P38, we will do it.)

“Willing makipagtulungan sa pamahalaan para magkaroon lagi ng mababang bigas na mabibili ang ating mamamayan,” said Tinoy Marquez, incoming president of the Intercity Rice Millers Association.

(We are willing to work with the government to achieve more affordable rice available in the market.)

According to DA, the rice will be sold in Kadiwa centers as soon as possible to help farmers this Christmas season. —Mariel Celine Serquiña/LDF, GMA Integrated News