Rice by any name to the Filipinos

For sale: Different varieties of rice for sale is seen at a food market in Paranaque, Metro Manila in the Philippines. — Reuters

THERE is no rice shortage? Okay, a rice crisis then. No need for the government officials to do cartwheels, antics and manoeuvre to deflect people’s attention from the rice mess. It is real and you know it.

I did a piece on the 1995 rice crisis when regular rice was P20 (RM1.50) per kilo, too expensive for the poorest of the poor. Now it is from P50 (RM3.80) to P80 (RM6.10).