MANILA -- The House of Representatives' Committee on Agriculture and Food and the Special Committee on Food Security unanimously approved the immediate filing of a Joint Resolution urging government agencies concerned to impose price controls or suggested retail price (SRP) on basic and prime agricultural commodities.

The move is intended to effect immediate relief to those affected by the unabated increases in prices of food commodities.

The lawmakers said this will cushion the effects on consumers of the burgeoning price increases in other commodities, such as petroleum products that certainly drive inflation and push food prices up.

An SWS survey on June 2013, showed that “the third quarter survey results showed that 3.9 million Filipino households or 17.9 percent of the population (about 15 million) continue to experience involuntary hunger, and as such, government agencies concerned must act now for the simple reason that hunger could not be postponed,” said Butil Party-list Rep. Agapito Guanlao, chair of the Special Committee on Food Security.

The joint committees also directed the Bureau of Plant Industry to submit all import permits issued to importers of garlic and for importers to provide data on whom they sold their imports.

This places the joint committees in chase of the paper trail left behind by “billionaire” traders who, Cagayan Rep. Vicente Ting, said, “may have profited by about P5 billion from the importation of 28,000 metric tons of garlic this year.”

Negros Oriental Rep. Pryde Henry Teves insisted on finding out the criminal liability of those involved in the issue. *PNA

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