A video posted on Facebook (FB) is claiming that rice is now selling for P25 per kilo nationwide. This is misleading. The video omitted a part of the news clip which stated that lower-priced rice is available only in certain places at specific times under the government’s “Kadiwa ng Pasko” project.
The video was published by an FB page on Nov. 17 and continues to circulate this week. It bore the incorrect headline: “Bigas 25 pesos kada kilo mabibili na nation wide, at mga gulay, asukal atb. (25-peso rice can now be bought nationwide, and vegetables, sugar, etc.).”
The video that almost lasted for three minutes started with veteran broadcaster Mel Tiangco reporting on the government selling food products at a much lower price but this was cut short.
In the original Nov. 16 GMA News report, at around the 12-second mark, Tiangco put out a disclaimer that was not heard in the spurious FB video.
“Bigas, asukal at ilang klaseng gulay, may bagsak-presyong bentahan ang gobyerno, pero sa piling lugar at schedule lang (The government is selling rice, sugar and some vegetables at a lower price, but only at selected locations and schedules),” Tiangco said.
According to the Office of the Press Secretary, 14 sites were launched under the “Kadiwa ng Pasko” project: 11 in Metro Manila, and one each in Tacloban City, Davao De Oro, and South Cotabato. The livelihood program aims to help farmers and fisherfolk by freeing them from dealing with traders and middlemen.
As of Nov. 23, the prevailing retail price of regular milled rice is P38 per kilo for either imported or local commercial rice. Special rice is priced at P50 per kilo while premium is at P45 per kilo. This is according to the Department of Agriculture’s price monitoring of prevailing retail prices of selected agri-fishery commodities in markets in the National Capital Region.
The video with the false claim appeared a day after President Ferdinand Marcos led the grand launching of the “Kadiwa ng Pasko” project in an effort to fulfill his campaign promise of slashing the price of rice to P20 a kilo.
FB page TAmbayan Tv.Video ni Richard A. (created on July 4) published the video, garnering over 33,000 reactions, 6,000 comments, 6,300 shares and 489,000 views.
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