While warehouses in Metro Manila are swimming in a sea of spoiled imported rice, the same is not true in Bohol. Thus declared Peng Evasco, assistant provincial manager of the National Food Authority when sought for comments arising from reports that warehouses in Metro Manila were found to have stocked thousands of sacks of rotten imported rice. The startling revelation followed after President Noynoy Aquino III exposed in his first State of the National Address (Sona) Monday the alleged over importation of rice in 2004 and 2007. The importation was way beyond the shortage figure estimated by the cereal agency when the country was suffering from a food crisis.

In one instance in 2007, an election year, the rice shortage was pegged at something like 500,000 metric tons and the government imported 1.3 million metric tons. The over importation resulted in rice glut in several Metro warehouses causing the stocks to rot and crawling with rice pests. The reported over importation put on the spot third district Cong. Arthur Yap who was the secretary of agriculture at the time the importation was made. Interviewed in the sidelines of the Batasan after the President's Sona, the Bohol solon said that if at all there was over importation it was done through the collective decision of at least two collegial bodies. He said before any decision to import rice was made, he said, the same will pass through a collegial body composed of representatives from the DA, Department of Trade & Industry, Bureau of Agricultural Extension, NFA, etc. Then another body, the Rice and Corn Council, will pass judgment to what has been recommended by the other layer in the bureaucracy. This means, according to the former DA secretary, no way will any importation will pass without any thorough scrutiny.

BOHOL STOCKS

In the case of Bohol warehouses filled with enormous rice inventory, Evasco said the tendency of rotting stockpile is out of the question since the local agency is following a procurement plan based on the consumption requirement of a given time. During the same interview, Evasco also explained that imported rice is not being relied upon in NFA's inventory because the agency is also in the forefront of buying palay from farmers especially during harvest season. However, since the cereal agency is also a recipient of imported rice from its Manila office, its warehouses sometimes is teeming with stockpiles of the staple just like what happened last week when it received shipment of 10,000 sacks of Vietnam rice.