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SHANTIES. A giant billboard stands obtrusively against the shanties along the riverbank of Davao River. About one third of Filipinos are living below the poverty line, their condition worsened by rising inflation, which registered a 17-year high last month. The National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) reported in its latest poverty survey released in May that the number of " poor" Filipinos grew from 23.8 million in 2003 to 27.6 million in 2006. (Photo by Keith Bacongco / AKP Images)

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The long wait

As rice prices in Mindanao start to soar this week, consumer lines in NFA outlets are getting longer. In Bankerohan public market, the wait can start as early as one in the morning just to be included in the first 500 persons allowed to buy NFA rice in the store for the day. The first 375 consumers can buy maximum of two kilos each of Vietnam variety which costs 18.25 pesos per kilo and Thailand variety of NFA rice which cost 25 pesos per kilo. The remaining 125 consumers is left to buy a maximum of two kilos of the Vietnam rice variety, which consumers consider not as good as Thailand rice. Although consumers wait for long hours, the distribution ends as early as 9 A.M.. Those who cannot avail will have to go back the next day. (davaotoday.com photo by Barry Ohaylan)

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Price of rice soars in Davao

In one of the rice stalls on Bangoy street, Banay-banay rice sells at forty-two pesos per kilo while the 7-tonner variety sells at thirty nine pesos per kilo. Consumers were alarmed when commercial rice prices went as high as forty pesos per kilo in a week's time. n a press conference on May 30, Department of Agriculture XI Regional Director Rogelio Chio notes a ten peso increase in the price of rice from last week's average of 34-peso per kilo. He also cites reports that rice prices in Malalag, Davao del Sur, even went up as high as fifty pesos per kilo. (davaotoday.com photo by Barry Ohaylan)

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