1.9M national gov’t workers to get 25-kg rice subsidy
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MANILA -Employees of national government agencies shall receive a one-time aid pack consisting of 25 kilograms (kg) of rice, meant to help them as consumers at a time of high inflation as well as facilitate a market for farmers of homegrown grains.
For this purpose, the Department of Budget and Management released P1.2 billion, which would benefit about 1.9 million qualified workers, including those who are engaged on a job-order and contract-of-service basis.
“As directed by President [Marcos], we shall ensure the welfare of our government workers by giving them assistance for their household needs and, at the same time, boosting the production of our rice farmers,” Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said in a statement.
Through Administrative Order No. 2 that was signed last December, Mr. Marcos authorized the grant of one-time assistance at a uniform quantity of 25 kg of rice to all qualified government employees.
Qualified to receive the rice aid are those who are still in the government service or engaged by government agencies as of Nov. 30, 2022.
This developed as the United Nations said global prices of grains have gone down to levels prevailing before the Russian invasion of Ukraine started in late February 2022.
However, the UN-administered Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) said food inflation remained a problem especially in countries that import more food than they export.
“While prices have fallen in international markets, they have frequently remained high at local level, particularly in net food importing developing countries, reflecting the weakening of their currencies against the US dollar,” the AMIS said in its latest monthly Market Monitor report.
“As a result, food price inflation is still a serious concern in many countries, also because post-farm gate costs for shipping and processing remain subject to inflationary pressures,” it added.
The AMIS noted that, in the Philippines, dry-season rice that was sown in November and December 2022 is beginning to be harvested under favorable conditions.
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