MANILA, May 8 -- Local Government Units (LGUs) and agriculture cooperatives should be allowed to buy rice directly from farmers using part of the PHP10-billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) or Rice Fund, Senator Imee Marcos said Wednesday.

"Para pakinabangan yung kukulektahin na buwis, ipamigay sa PhilMech (Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization), sa PhilRice (Philippine Rice Research Institute), ibigay na rin sa LGU at coop na may kakayahan, may purchase order na sila para sa bigas (To better gain from the collected tax, give it to PhiMech, PhilRice, and even to eligible LGUs and coops, give them purchase orders for rice)," Marcos said in a news release.

"Sila na rin ang mamili para sila na ang m...