THE PHILIPPINES? the world's largest rice importer?may hold a third tender for the staple grain on Dec. 15 to bring total imports for next year to 2.05 million tons.

According to the National Food Authority (NFA), the government is set to auction off supply contracts for another 600,000 tons of white rice through the agency, its assistant administrator Jose Cordero told the Inquirer in an interview.

NFA previously announced tenders for 600,000 tons on Dec. 1 and 8.

Last Nov. 4, the NFA bought 250,000 tons of white rice from Thailand and Vietnam.

Cordero sought to ease expectations that the fresh tender signals the Philippines will buy more rice than the 2.4 million tons in 2008 and the 1.78 million tons for this year.

?A tender does not mean the NFA will accept any price. In the end, NFA has the option to accept or not to accept an offer. We keep our options open,? Cordero said.

What is clear is that official government reports point to a large need for rice. Given the prices offered at the Nov. 4 tender, government official, including Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, have not ruled the possibility of additional tenders.

?There?s always that possibility that we will add tenders,? Cordero said.

The weighted average price of rice offered during the Nov. 4 tender was $530 per ton. The winning bids were at $468.50 and $480 per ton.

NFA deputy administrator Ludovico Jarina earlier said it would be good for the Philippines to lock in supply at relatively low prices before other countries import their own rice requirements.