Subsidized sugar fails to stop rising prices

The initial batch of subsidized sugar has failed to stop rising prices of the commodity in Metro Manila, with the government appealing to consumers on Tuesday to refrain from hoarding. Radio dzBB reported that in Marikina City, sugar was still being sold for P53 per kilo at the local market, up by a peso from Monday. Brown sugar costs P46 per kilo. Meanwhile, National Food Authority (NFA) spokesman Rex Estoperez appealed to the public not to hoard the product by lining up more than once to buy it from NFA outlets. Estoperez said in a radio interview only 700 bags made up the initial batch of sugar from local millers and the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) released to the market. But while more bags of sugar are expected to come in, the supply will still run out quickly if people buy more than once, he pointed out. "Our supplies will quickly run out unless people cooperate and buy one kilo per person per family at P48 per kilo," Estoperez told dzBB radio in Filipino. He said the NFA does not want a repeat of 2008, when it sold subsidized rice at P18.50 per kilo only to have some people line up and buy the subsidized rice more than once. Estoperez also said the NFA was trying to find ways to make it easier for accredited dealers to get their supplies. He said some dealers could not immediately get their allocations because they have no facilities to transport the sugar to their warehouses. "We will find ways to deliver the sugar to them. But if their problem is lack of funds to pay for the sugar, we cannot do anything about it," he said. Estoperez also belied reports that the NFA had made subsidized rice unavailable, saying poor families with family access cards could still buy the item. "The P18.25 per kilo rice is sold in Tindahan Natin outlets. Only those with family access cards can buy these," he said. — GMANews.TV