Saudi OFWs not spared from rice price increases
Filipinos in the Middle East are also suffering from high rice prices.
ABS-CBN’s Middle East News Bureau reported that rice prices in Saudi Arabia have risen more than 70 percent in the last five months.
Five months ago, in Riyadh, a kilo of rice was 3 Saudi riyals (around P34). Today, it costs SR5 (around P56) a kilo, ABS-CBN Middle East News Bureau reported.
He added that unlike in the Philippines, where Thai rice is considered a luxury, in Saudi Arabia, it is the cheapest rice in the market.
And the price increases haven't stopped.
Marcelo Sistina, a carpenter in Al Khobar in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Region complained, "Yung dati naming sinasaing na pagkain na bigas, dati apat na gatang (approximately 4 cups). At ngayon, dalawa at kalahating gatang (2 & ½) na lang. Binabawasan namin at ang ulam lang ang dinadagdagan namin para makaraos sa maghapon." (We used to cook about 4 cups of rice, and now we only cook 2 & ½. We’re reducing the amount and cooking more viands so that our food will last throughout the whole day.)
Price increase in restaurants
Prices have also gone up in Saudi Arabia’s Filipino restaurants.
Fred Abrenica, manager of Riyadh’s Roses Restaurant said they have increased their prices only a little because "napakabigat sa isang OFW na magdagdag kahit isang riyal, pero hindi namin na-control (An increase of even one riyal is already heavy for an OFW but this is something we couldn’t prevent.)"
Most OFWs in Riyadh said their purchasing power of their remittances has been reduced by the increase in prices.
Willie Arcaya, a secretary, said "Nakakalungkot ngayon sa bansa natin, kasi nuong una, napakaganda ng produksyon ng bigas, at sa katunayan, nakapag-export pa tayo sa ibang bansa (The country’s situation saddens me because there was a time when we could produce enough rice. We were even able to export rice)."
Tito de Vera, a supervisor in Dammam, proposed that the country's leaders should work together to fix the economy. "Magkaisa sila para maisaayos nila ang takbo ng ekonomiya sa Pilipinas," he said.
Filipinos in the Middle East are also suffering from high rice prices.
ABS-CBN’s Middle East News Bureau reported that rice prices in Saudi Arabia have risen more than 70 percent in the last five months.
Five months ago, in Riyadh, a kilo of rice was 3 Saudi riyals (around P34). Today, it costs SR5 (around P56) a kilo, ABS-CBN Middle East News Bureau reported.
He added that unlike in the Philippines, where Thai rice is considered a luxury, in Saudi Arabia, it is the cheapest rice in the market.
And the price increases haven't stopped.
Marcelo Sistina, a carpenter in Al Khobar in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Region complained, "Yung dati naming sinasaing na pagkain na bigas, dati apat na gatang (approximately 4 cups). At ngayon, dalawa at kalahating gatang (2 & ½) na lang. Binabawasan namin at ang ulam lang ang dinadagdagan namin para makaraos sa maghapon." (We used to cook about 4 cups of rice, and now we only cook 2 & ½. We’re reducing the amount and cooking more viands so that our food will last throughout the whole day.)
Price increase in restaurants
Prices have also gone up in Saudi Arabia’s Filipino restaurants.
Fred Abrenica, manager of Riyadh’s Roses Restaurant said they have increased their prices only a little because "napakabigat sa isang OFW na magdagdag kahit isang riyal, pero hindi namin na-control (An increase of even one riyal is already heavy for an OFW but this is something we couldn’t prevent.)"
Most OFWs in Riyadh said their purchasing power of their remittances has been reduced by the increase in prices.
Willie Arcaya, a secretary, said "Nakakalungkot ngayon sa bansa natin, kasi nuong una, napakaganda ng produksyon ng bigas, at sa katunayan, nakapag-export pa tayo sa ibang bansa (The country’s situation saddens me because there was a time when we could produce enough rice. We were even able to export rice)."
Tito de Vera, a supervisor in Dammam, proposed that the country's leaders should work together to fix the economy. "Magkaisa sila para maisaayos nila ang takbo ng ekonomiya sa Pilipinas," he said.
This news is from http://www.abs-cbnnews.com
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