PRICE watchdog Bantay Bigas warned that the rice prices, particularly the regular-milled rice stands to go up P60 per kilo with what they said as gaps in the local supply as well as rising prices in the international market.
Presently, the prices of the regular-milled rice in several markets in Metro Manila now range from P52 to P54 per kilo.
According to Bantay Bigas spokesperson Cathy Estavillo the price of rice is only high in Metro Manila.
She noted that in a known rice-producing province such Aurora, the cheapest rice is P52 per kilogram.
“’Yon ang malungkot na realidad. Magpapaasko pa naman,” she said in an interview over Teleradyo Serbisyo.
She lamented that the hike in the rice price may persist until the holiday season.
“Nakakatakot. Baka aabot talaga ng P60 per kilo ‘yong mga regular-milled rice given na wala namang nagagawang concrete na solusyon ‘yong gobyerno bagkus ay mag-import,” she said.
