VERA Files
A video on Facebook (FB) is claiming that the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos has plans to lower the price of rice to P20 per kilo. This is misleading. While lowering the price of the commodity remains the president’s target, this particular video talked about removing the price ceiling on rice.
On Sept. 10, an FB page published the video with this headline:
“Seryoso na ang Pangulo 20 Pesos na Bigas malapit na Tapos na ang mga araw niyo mga Smuggler ng Bigas (The president is serious. P20-per-kilo rice is near. The days of rice smugglers are numbered.)”
The misleading headline does not match its video content. The video, which continues to circulate this week, did not discuss the possible decrease of rice prices to P20 per kilo from the government-set price ceiling of P41 per kilo of regular milled rice and P45 for well-milled rice.
The original video was published by the official YouTube channel of RTVMalacanang on Sept. 9, discussing the mandated price ceiling on rice and what various government agencies will do against rice cartels, hoarders and price manipulators.
In the RTVM video, Marcos did not mention his P20 kilo campaign promise and instead said his administration will lift the price ceilings, imposed in early September, once the harvest season starts and rice imports arrive.
Back in August, officials of the Department of Agriculture admitted during their Aug. 24 House committee budget hearing that it will be “difficult” to reduce the retail price of rice to P20 in the next two years.
But in a Sept. 19 interview with the press in Zamboanga, Marcos said there is still a “chance” to lower retail prices of rice once cost of production stabilizes.
FB page Euphoniaco Update (created on Aug. 11, 2022) published the misleading video, garnering over 4,100 reactions, 580 comments, 620 shares and 63,000 views.
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(Editor’s Note: VERA Files has partnered with Facebook to fight the spread of disinformation. Find out more about this partnership and our methodology.)
