Pia Gutierrez, ABS-CBN News

MANILA (UPDATED) — Several rice importers over the weekend pulled out at least 300 containers of rice left abandoned at the Manila International Container Terminal, days after the Department of Agriculture and the Philippine Ports Authority sounded the alarm over possible efforts to hoard rice supplies for a price spike, the PPA reported Monday.“We look forward na sa mga darating na mga araw, hanggang katapusan ng buwan na ito, ay tuluyan pa pong mababawasan ang mga overstaying containers na ‘yan na naglalaman ng bigas,” Philippine Ports Authority General Manager Jay Santiago said in a Palace briefing.

(We look forward to the pullout of other overstaying container vans of rice in the next few days and until the end of the month)

The PPA earlier reported that 888 shipping vans containing approximately 20 million kilograms of rice had been left to languish in the Manila port, adding that consignees might be deliberately keeping the imported rice unclaimed in anticipation of higher market prices.

The Department of Agriculture had warned that importers may face charges of hoarding over the unclaimed container vans.

“We will let the proper authorities to handle that,” DA spokesperson Arnel De Mesa clarified Monday, saying the department is still studying potential liabilities.

IMPORTERS: NOTHING TO GAIN FROM ‘HOARDING’ RICE

Rice importers said on Monday that there are no intentional hoarding of imported rice in the ports of Manila.

In an interview with ABS-CBN News, Orly Manuntag of the Philippine Rice Industry Stakeholders Movement (PRISM) said it usually only takes 7-10 days for them to take their shipments out, with some shipments taking at most a month to be cleared in case of amendments to the importation documents.

He added importers are rushing to sell their rice before harvest peaks next month.

“Kung ikaw ay negosyante, di mo hahayaan na mang hoard kasi may babayaran ka demorahe. Ang demorahe nasa P10,000 per container per day. Di mo ito kikitain,” he also said.

(If you are a trader, you wouldnt hoard because you would have to pay demurrage fees of almost P10,000 per container per day. You wouldn’t earn this much.)

The DA earlier identified port congestion as one of the main problems why prices of rice remain high, despite reductions in tariff due to Executive Order 62.

But Manuntag said they have also started selling rice at much lower prices due to tariff cuts. He said they have started slashing rice prices by up to 7 pesos.

DA SEES STABLE RICE SUPPLY DURING HOLIDAY SEASON

De Mesa added that losses in the local agriculture sector due to typhoons and bad weather are not seen to cause any problems with rice supply during the holiday season. 

This owing to the country’s strong rice harvest for the year of 20 million tons and importation volume of 3 million MT, De Mesa said.

He said losses of about 420,000 MT of rice “is within the limit” that the DA included in its projections.

“So, in terms sa supply, maganda iyong expectation natin iyong ating projection, sa presyo naman, nakita na natin mayroon na tayong P42 pesos sa imported rice, ang local natin is P45.”

(So, in terms of supply, we have a good projection. In price, we have seen imported rice sold at P42 and local rice at P45.)

Agriculture Secretary Laurel said Wednesday that rice prices are projected to start declining in October with the full impact of the tariff cut may be felt in January 2025, he added.

UNCLAIMED RICE TO BE TURNED OVER TO CUSTOMS

The PPA meanwhile said that they are giving consignees until the end of the month to pull the remaining unclaimed rice shipments out before these are turned over to the Bureau of Customs for proper disposition.

Santiago said that under the Customs Modernization Tariff Act, cargo that is unclaimed 30 days after clearance by customs can be declared abandoned and disposed of.

“It will now be up to the Bureau of Customs kung if they auction it off or if they feel na puwede na itong i-donate sa ibang agencies para mas magamit,” he continued.

(It will be up to the Bureau of Customs to decide if they will auction it off or if they feel that it can be donated to other agencies that will put it to good use) — with Jervis Manahan, ABS-CBN News

Published Date: September 23, 2024