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Jervis Manahan

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17267422189831726742240945.jpeg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Almost half a million sacks of rice in more than 800 shipping containers remain uncollected at the Manila International Container Port. Jervis Manahan, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner">Almost half a million sacks of rice in more than 800 shipping containers remain uncollected at the Manila International Container Port. <em>Jervis Manahan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA - The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) said on Thursday that several rice importers are deliberately holding their shipments inside the Manila International Container Terminal until prices spike.</p><p>PPA General Manager Jay Santiago said 888 containers of nearly half a million sacks of rice are inside the ports, waiting for release. More than half of the shipments have been cleared by the Bureau of Customs and the BIR, but are yet to be taken out.</p><p>&quot;Nakipag-ugnayan na sa Department of Agriculture na kapag nagbigay sila permit to import, dapat i-require ang consignees na ipullout agad maximum of 5 days sa mga pantalan para magstabilize presyo ng bigas,&quot; Santiago said.</p><p>(We coordinated with the Department of Agriculture if they can require consignees of imports to pull out their shipments after five days to help stabilize rice prices.)</p><p>Santiago says storage fees in ports are cheaper than private warehouses. Ports give shipments free storage for 5 days, after which they are being charged P700 per container per day.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/2024/9/16/port-congestion-keeping-rice-prices-high-agri-chief-1736" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">READ: Port congestion keeping rice prices high: Agri chief</a></div><p>The Department of Agriculture earlier said that port congestion was partly to blame for rice prices remaining high as importers were having difficulty withdrawing their shipments.</p><p>Santiago however said there&#x27;s no port congestion in Manila, as MICT is only 70 percent utilized and there&#x27;s enough space inside. Other shipments also take an average of 5.4 days before they were pulled out.</p><div><strong>REQUEST TO EXPEDITE</strong></div><p>Meanwhile, Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. still called on the Philippine Ports Authority to expedite the movement of nearly a thousand container vans filled with imported rice.</p><p>Laurel said many container vans have been sitting in Manila ports for months.</p><p>“We are thankful that the PPA has acted promptly on the information we provided and recognized the potential issue of hoarding of imported rice in Manila ports,” said Sec. Tiu Laurel.</p><p>The delay in releasing the imported rice has raised concerns over food security, especially as the country faces ongoing inflation pressures.</p><p>&quot;We respectfully urge the PPA to prioritize the movement of these rice stocks to help increase supply for this essential food staple and potentially lower retail prices,&quot; he added.</p><p>By facilitating the swift movement of these goods, the government aims to stabilize rice prices and ensure that consumers have access to affordable food options.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jxt3k85V7L4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) said on Thursday that several rice importers are deliberately holding their shipments inside the Manila International Container Terminal until prices spike.</p>

The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) said on Thursday that several rice importers are deliberately holding their shipments inside the Manila International Container Terminal until prices spike.

Ports authority says importers deliberately holding rice in Manila Ports

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Ports authority says importers deliberately holding rice in Manila Ports

Jervis Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published September 19, 2024 06:38 PM PHT

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Updated September 19, 2024 06:39 PM PHT

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Philippine Ports Authority

MICT

rice imports

congestion

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