Rice shortage or common sense shortage?

“Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something.”
--Mitch Hedberg

By Alex P. Vidal

NEWARK, New Jersey -- Unless it can show a scientific data, we don’t buy the National Food Authority (NFA)’s claim that there is a rice shortage in the Philippines.
In the last quarter of 2017, for instance, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) confirmed that the Filipinos’ rice self-sufficiency ratio in 2016 had already improved to 95.01 percent from 88.93 percent in the previous year.
It could only mean one thing: local production accounted for 95.01 percent of the total rice supply in the local market.
If there’s a reduction in the Philippines’ dependence on rice imports in 2016 to 4.99 percent of total supply from 11.07 in 2015, as revealed by the PSA report, how can the Filipinos incur a shortage of rice which is a major agricultural and food commodity?
Sen. Cynthia Villar was right when she scolded the NFA for creating panic over rice “shortage” which was not entirely true.
Instead of rice shortage, it seems there is a shortage of common sense somewhere.

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When they joined President Duterte during the latter’s recent visit to Dingle, Iloilo, Reps. Ferjenel “Ferj” Biron and Arthur “Toto” Defensor Jr., both rumored gubernatorial aspirants in Iloilo province in 2019, were seen sitting together with Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr., Rep. Toto’s father.
Curious Ilonggos waiting to see Biron and the Defensor father and son snub each other went home empty handed as the politicians proved to all and sundry they were not only civil to each other but they were also good friends.
When Biron and Defensor Jr. clash for the top capitol post in 2019 their campaign is expected to focus on their respective platforms and what should be done to further improve the lives of people in Iloilo province.
Because of their good demeanor and the jolly faces they display when caught by camera in public together, they will be ashamed to throw mud at each other when the campaign period goes in full blast.

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Mayor Jose “Joe III” Espinosa III has all the reason to be alarmed by the P10-million heist inside a pawnshop in Gaisano Iloilo over the week.
Aside from the resurgence of burglary that victimizes downtown, City Proper establishments which may be attributed to failure of police intelligence and peace and order, the mayor’s family owns several pawnshops near the area or blocks away in Guanco Street.
Espinosa’s pawnshop formerly located in front of SM Delgado also was robbed in broad daylight years back.