In Dumaguete City, the Department of Agriculture (DA) in the Negros Island Region (NIR) is vigilantly monitoring rice prices across its three provinces, even as the National Capital Region (NCR) implements a maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) for rice. Engineer Albert Barogo, the regional director of DA-NIR, emphasized in a recent interview that although the MSRP is exclusive to NCR, the directive to monitor prices extends to regional and provincial levels. Barogo has requested local government units (LGUs) to provide weekly updates on rice prices to track any price adjustments. The NIR encompasses the provinces of Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, and Siquijor. The MSRP for imported rice, which aims to reduce the cost of this essential commodity, was enacted in the NCR on February 5. Barogo also noted that LGUs are empowered to oversee and control rice prices within their jurisdictions through Local Price Monitoring Councils, aiming to curb any unwarranted price hikes. Recent data from Barogo’s office indicates that the highest price for rice, known as the ‘blue tag,’ reaches up to PHP60 per kilogram or more.
