By Charissa M. Luci-Atienza Bohol Rep. Arthur Yap called on public and private sectors Monday to rally behind the government's rollout of more safety net packages to address inflation. Using 2012 as a base year, inflation rose in March to its highest at 4.3 percent, with consumer prices in Metro Manila rising at a faster annual rate of 5.2 percent. Yap, chairman of the House Committee on Economic Affairs, was referring to the government’s plan to grant transport vouchers to the working class and to increase the rice buffer of the National Food Authority (NFA). "These are steps in the right direction to address inflationary impacts on our people’s wages," he said in a statement. "Inflation could rise further in the months ahead, which could force the central bank to raise interest rates to help tame inflation," the former Agriculture secretary warned. He said the implementation of the recently approved Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act, or TRAIN Law should not be blamed for the acceleration of inflation, explaining that oil prices are underpinning higher inflation. “And there are still indications that fuel prices will be firm in the coming months as can be seen from lower OECD fuel buffer stocks and the deferment of the Saudi Aramco IPO to 019. This is the reason government’s decision to roll out more social safety net packages must be supported,” Yap said. He said by increasing the buying price for palay, the Duterte administration aims to raise the farmers' rural incomes so they will not produce at a loss. "While the order to buffer stock is a clear signal that the President is ready to temper, presently increasing prices of rice in the consumer market," he said. The government had directed the NFA to fast track the importation of 250,000 tons of rice to raise the government’s buffer stock. In 1995, reduced NFA stocks boosted rice prices and sent inflation to double-digit levels.