SAN JOSE CITY – A huge group of rice millers in the agricultural province of Nueva Ecija has expressed concerned over a bill that assumes a P1 million-worth of rice stock as economic sabotage.
Elizabeth Vana, president of the Nueva Ecija Rice Millers Association (NERMA), said in an interview that the rice industry is too huge to make P1-million worth of stock as threshold for hoarding.
“Kung magkakaroon po tayo ng threshold na P1-million, saan po dadalhin ng mga magsasaka ‘yung palay nila?” Vana said, adding that local millers absorb even the so-called “calado,” the discolored submerged grains to help farmers.
NERMA is composed of some 80 rice millers in the province.
“Hindi naman po tayo kalaban ng gobyerno e. Kami pong mga rice millers always in support of government, always in support of PBBM (Pres. Bongbong Marcos, Jr.). Mahal po namin ang gobyerno kasi tayo-tayo lang naman po ang magtutulungan,” she said.
Reports showed at least 8,000 legitimate rice retailers in the country will be affected by Senate Bill 2342 which counterpart has already passed the House of Representatives.
They expressed particular concern on the reduction of the economic sabotage threshold to P1 million under the said bill, calling it “disproportionately punitive.”
Having bank loans, rice millers would always want to have their stocks sold as fast as possible, according to Vana.
But some rice millers have to consider the requirements of their buyers, including the institutional ones such as fastfoods, bihon, tikoy and wine manufacturers.
Vana expressed hope the Senate will further study the proposed threshold.
“Sana po bago maisabatas ito, kasi tama naman e hindi natin sinu-support yung hoarding, ang smuggling, hindi rin natin sinu-support ang profiteering, pero lang sana ay pag-aralan nilang mabuti,” she added. “Parang napakaliit po ng P1 million para i-hoard.”
Under the proposed measure, hoarding is a non-bailable offense.
She expressed fear that farmers would not have anywhere to go to if millers stop buying upon reaching P1-million worth of stocks.
