The April 29 editorial "Hunger in a world of plenty" states that there have been food riots in the Philippines as a result of the rising price of rice. I am writing to inform you that this is factually incorrect because, while the rising price of rice and other commodities remains a challenge for many of our people, there fortunately have not been any of the riots or disturbances that have taken place in some other countries. As such, we would like to correct this point.
President Gloria Arroyo and her administration have been working diligently to address challenges arising from the slowdown in the global economy combined with the spike in high oil and food prices. These global forces are causing real difficulties for the poor in the Philippines, but the government is doing everything in its power to ensure that our food supply remains stable and our economy resilient.
Our focus has been on ensuring adequate supplies of rice and other foodstuffs through both domestic production and importation, supporting distribution to all parts of our country through a range of mechanisms including active cooperation with churches, mosques and schools, and enforcing regulations regarding the sale and distribution of rice and cracking down on corruption that can impact the supply, distribution and price of rice. Through the efforts of both the public and nongovernmental sectors of our society, we are meeting this challenge.