A young woman frowns at the sight of surging prices of rice, a kilo of which costs only 24 pesos, as of March 18, when this picture is taken. NFA rice costs only 18 pesos. Now, prices of commercial rice already reaches P30. Davao city Mayor Rodrigo Duterte blamed the conversion of former riceland to other cashcrop for the present rice problem. “Lands that are used to be planted with rice and corn are now planted with bananas,” he said. Meanwhile, the government of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assures the public that the country has enough supply of rice. (davaotoday.com photo by Jonald Mahinay)
