The agreement, signed by Philippine Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap and Vietnamese Trade Minister Yu Huy Hoang commits Vietnam to supply 1.5 million tonnes of rice to the Philippines in 2008 except in case of natural disasters or unforseen harvest loss.

Both countries also agreed to take 'strict measures' against illegal rice trading between the Philippines and Vietnam, the statement said.

The Agriculture Department said the price for the Vietnamese rice will be determined through the public bidding system between suppliers.

To further forestall any rice shortage, the US Department of Agriculture will also increase its credit commodity programme with the Philippines to 75 million dollars, clearing the way for the importation of an additional 100,000 tonnes of US rice into the country, the statement added.

The committments were made as part of the Philippine government's efforts to avoid a rice shortage due to rising domestic demand and tight inventories around the globe.

Rice, the staple food for the country's 90-million populace, is a political commodity in the Philippines, and any fluctuations in price and shortages in supply could potentially rouse unrest, analysts have warned.

Last week, the National Food Authority, the state's rice-importing agency, announced it had bought some 335,000 tonnes of rice mainly from Vietnam, Thailand and Pakistan to avoid any crisis in the months to come.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap has reassured consumers that the country will have an adequate supply of rice, thanks to supply commitments from Vietnam and the United States, along with projected record harvests later this year. -- AFP