CDO City vendors protest P54/kg rice

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines - Vendors in the city’s Cogon Public Market staged a rally along J.R. Borja Street Wednesday to protest the spiraling rice prices, which have gone up to P54 a kilo for the commercial variety. The vendors staged a noise barrage, banging empty pots for at least an hour, shouting slogans urging the government to lower the cost of rice. They were joined by their children who held placards that say "Dili kami makaeskwela kay mahal kaayo ang palaliton. Kwarta sa among ginikanan bugas ra ang padulngan (We can no longer go to school because prices of commodities have gone up. The money of our parents is for rice only)." Epie Medio, chair of the Coalition for Recognition and Empowerment of Street Vendors Association (Cresva), said poor vendors have found the prices of rice "too steep" for the money they earn everyday hawking vegetables and other stuff in Cogon market. "The situation is very alarming for us, market vendors. The prices of rice is beyond our reach," Medio said. Prices have gone up since April this year despite assurances from the government of stability after several nations including the United States and Thailand promised grain shipments to the country. Prevailing prices as of Wednesday for special rice (Jasmine) was at P54 per kilo; Good Luck premium grade rice, P53 per kilo; bordagol, P52 per kilo; first class rice, P49 per kilo; fancy rice, P47 per kilo; 7-tonner, P46 per kilo; and special rice Japanese, P44 per kilo. White corn grits meanwhile are being sold at P32 a kilo while rice from the National Food Authority (NFA) continue to sell at P18.25 a kilo. Last April, rice prices were: P37.50 per kilo for fancy; P31 per kilo for 7-tonner; P32 per kilo for head rice; P30 per kilo for bordagol, P29 per kilo for valencia rice; P34 for good luck rice; and corn grits at P25 per kilo. Junlar Tutor, whose parents are sidewalk vendors, joined the protest Wednesday with the hope that the government will see the plight of poor families trying to cope the rice crisis. Tutor, a resident of Barangay Tignapoloan, is still a Grade six pupil despite his age of 16 years old. "Sige ko makaundang kay walay ikagasto akong mama ug papa tungod sa kalisod (I frequently stopped going to school because my parents can not afford it)," Tutor said. Government officials and traders are painting a bleak picture ahead. Some are even forecasting that the price of rice may go up to as high as P60 per kilo in the next few months. – Sun.Star CDO