DA chief: Despite typhoons, PHL has enough rice supply

Despite the agricultural damage caused by the recent typhoons, the Department of Agriculture (DA) on Tuesday assured the public that the country has sufficient supply of rice. In an interview with reporters, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said if the country was not hit by Typhoons Pedring and Quiel, it would’ve had the biggest rice yield in a long time this year. During the day's Senate budget hearing on the proposed budget of the DA for 2012, he said the country would have yielded 17 million metric tons of rice this year, but because of the damage caused by the typhoons, the country will have a shortfall of around one million metric tons. Despite this, the country still has enough rice supply to last until next year, Alcala said. "Makakasiguro po tayo we have enough supply." During the hearing, he said the country has an available supply of 8.862 million metric tons of rice, which can last for 260.7 days. He said the country only needs 6.256 million metric tons for the rest of the year, equivalent to 184 days. Alcala added that they have an allowance of 494,000 metric tons of rice for possible damages brought by future typhoons. Self-sufficient Alcala, meanwhile, said they are on track in their vision of making the Philippines self-sufficient in terms of rice production by 2013. "Kung makikita ninyo po sana sa kagawaran ambisosyo po tayo pero hindi naman tayo tumitigil [sa mga ginagawa natin)," he said. Senator Franklin Drilon, chairman of the Senate finance committee, assured Alcala that they will support the DA’s project. "We will provide the necessary funds to support our rice production particularly for self-sufficiency by 2013," he said in a separate interview. - Kimberly Jane Tan/KBK, GMA News