MANILA, Philippines - A glut in imported rice could prove to be a boon for the Aquino administration amid plans to give away the food staple to some of the country's poorest families.

Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman said distributing the excess rice would be a big help to Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) beneficiaries, which include school children.

She said the excess rice could be used for a project that gives rice to impoverished kids who go to school. She said the rice could be distributed to poor families in Bicol, Caraga Region and the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.

National Food Authority chief Lito Banayo earlier said the surplus rice may be given away for free, depending on his talks with Soliman and the Department of Agriculture. He said the agency was practically "swimming in rice" because of overstocked warehouses, which could lead to wastage.

He said he has also asked the justice department to determine why the Philippine International Trading Corporation was allowed to import P100 million worth of rice this year.

Soliman said using the surplus rice to feed the poor would help lessen the incidence of hunger in the country. "Tunay na nakakapanghinayang dahil marami ang nagugutom at ito'y hindi makatarungang pagsasayang," she said.

A Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey earlier showed that more than 4 million Filipino families have experienced involuntary hunger at least once from April to June. SWS president Dr. Mahar Mangahas warned the Philippines is in danger of falling into a hunger trap after over 20% of Filipino families said they experienced hunger for three consecutive quarters. (Read: Philippines slipping into hunger trap – SWS)