MANILA (Dow Jones)--The Philippines has increased its rice import quota for 2008 to 2.4 million metric tons to ensure ample supply throughout the year, a senior official of the agriculture department said Thursday.

  The volume is 14% higher from an earlier quota of 2.1 million tons set by the department.

  The Philippines has so far bought a record 2.3 million tons following a rice import deal with Vietnam Wednesday involving 600,000 tons.

  "We haven't exceeded our import quota. We're allowed to import up to 2.4 million tons," said the official.

Another official, Agriculture Assistant Secretary Joy Javelosa, confirmed that the Philippines hasn't exceeded its quota. 
 
 She said the 2.3 million tons is "within the authorized import volume. We've very much safe." 
 
 Javelosa heads the government interagency committee on rice and corn, or IAC, which determines import quotas for grains. 
 
 The Philippines' deal with Vietnam brings the country's rice import volume to a record level. 
 
 The previous record was in 1998, when the state-run National Food Authority imported a total 2.12 million tons due to a severe and prolonged El Nino-induced dry spell that ravaged crops across Asia.  
 
   -By Rhea Sandique-Carlos, Dow Jones Newswires; 632-848-5051; This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  
   
  (END) Dow Jones Newswires