Philippines legislators bid to ease food price burden
Updated
Philippine legislators have agreed to pass bills that exempt minimum wage employees from income tax and make cheaper medicine available in a bid to ease the burden of rising food prices.
In a meeting with President Gloria Arroyo, the legislators and local officials have also discussed other measures to counter the impact of rising food prices, particularly for rice.
A spokesman for President Arroyo says the administration hopes the cheap medicines bill and tax exemptions will be passed before May 1.
He says unions will be expecting government action on food price worries on what is a national holiday.
President Arroyo has also ordered regional wage boards to speed up deliberations on raising minimum pay levels.
She's told the Parliament gathering that despite all government efforts, "what is happening with rice and global prices is a once-in-a-millennium global crisis."
The Philippines is one of the world's largest importers of rice, with improving agricultural output failing to catch up with its growing population.
