NO RICE CRISIS IN THE PHILIPPINES: MAYOR JOJO BINAY IN LA VISIT (tags)
“There is no rice crisis in the Philippines. It is an artificial crisis created by the GMA administration in the urban areas o use for its political maneuvers and economic benefits” This was the stand of Presumptive presidential candidate for the President of the Philippines. Makati Ciy mayor Jejomar Binay when asked about the rice crisis in the Philippines. Binay held a press conference at Bahay Kubo restaurant in Historic Filipinotown Los Angeles, August 27,2008. Addressing a jam packed hall with Filipino community leaders from all over California. ” The real rice crisis happened in 1964 at the time of President Diosdado Macapagal. That was the real rice crisis when everybody even the rich and poorest was lining up for the rice. I was very young then and I still remember.
The Present Rice Crisis in The Philippines (tags)
The Philippine Peasant Support Network (Pesante)-USA, a Filipino farmers, environmental and human rights advocacy group based in Los Angeles expressed dismay over the US-Arroyo regime’s way of solving the present rice crisis in the former rice producing nation of the Philippines. The Philippine government is going to buy two million metric tons of rice abroad at a cost of $600 or P24,600 per metric ton, that will be P49.2 billion, which is 146 times than the Philippines annual post-harvest budget. President Arroyo already released P1.5 billion to boost rice production especially in the top 10 poorest provinces. The rice will be imported- from of all places-- the United States and Vietnam.