The Department of Agriculture (DA) is expected to declare a food security emergency for rice on February 4, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. announced on Friday. This follows a recommendation from the National Price Coordinating Council (NPCC) amid persistently high rice prices.
Speaking in an ambush interview, Tiu Laurel stated that the emergency declaration will most likely be finalized by Tuesday, with implementation rolling out on Wednesday. The measure aims to stabilize rice prices by releasing National Food Authority (NFA) buffer stocks into the market.
“That is very welcome because it will reduce the stock in warehouses. Farmers will be pleased that the NFA can buy rice from them since there will now be storage space (That is very welcome dahil mababawasan ang laman ng mga warehouses. Matutuwa ang mga farmers na makakabili ang NFA ng bigas mula sa kanila dahil meron nang paglalagyan),” said Tiu Laurel.
He further noted that releasing 300,000 metric tons of rice over six months could help ease market prices. “Hopefully, the price of rice will go down a bit more (Hopefully, bumaba pa nang kaunti ‘yung presyo ng bigas),” he added.
The NPCC, chaired by Trade and Industry Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque, endorsed the food security emergency to facilitate the release of NFA stocks and enable the purchase of locally produced rice.
Roque emphasized that this move will not only stabilize rice prices but also support Filipino farmers by ensuring a steady market for their harvests.
Currently, the NFA holds 300,000 metric tons of rice in its buffer stock. The plan involves selling the rice to local government units (LGUs) and other agencies at P36 per kilo, with a consumer price of P38 per kilo.
While the emergency declaration will enable the NFA to release its rice stocks, Tiu Laurel clarified that LGUs will have the discretion to purchase the rice.
“You cannot really say that it will be immediately available. It depends on which LGU intends to buy or actually makes a purchase. Some LGUs have already bought, while others lack the funds (You cannot really say na makaka-avail agad. Depende kung sinong LGU ang may intent na bumili o talagang bibili. Kasi meron namang LGU na nakabili na sila. Meron namang LGU na kulang ang pondo),” he explained.
The DA aims to distribute an initial 150,000 metric tons of rice from the NFA’s buffer stock once the food security emergency is declared. This will also facilitate the NFA’s purchase of new stocks from local farmers during the upcoming harvest season.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has acknowledged that rice prices remain high despite a reduction in production costs. He stressed the need to regulate the market and bring prices down to affordable levels.
“And so we have to force that price down and we have to make sure that the market works properly,” Marcos stated.
