News
PBBM backs food security emergency declaration
By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos, Philippine News Agency
Marcos said the National Price Coordinating Council’s (NPCC) recommendation would be formally transmitted to the DA by next week.
(PNA file photo by Joan Bondoc)
MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday expressed support for the declaration of food security emergency to bring down the prices of rice.
In a media interview in Burauen, Leyte, Marcos said declaring a food security emergency is needed because the market is “not being allowed to work properly,” despite the government’s relentless efforts to lower the rice prices.
“Hindi nasusundan ang demand and supply curve dahil hanggang ngayon kahit ibaba mo lahat ng inputs, ang pagbenta pa rin, mataas pa rin (The demand and supply curve is not followed because until now, even if you lower all inputs, prices remain high),” Marcos said.
“And so, we have to force that price down and we have to make sure that the market works properly na walang (without) friction cost na nangyayari dahil sa sari-sari, iba’t ibang bagay at ‘yung iba doon ilegal kaya’t iyan ang iniimbestigahan ngayon ng Kongreso (because of a lot of things, some of which are illegal and are being investigated by Congress),” he added.
Marcos said the National Price Coordinating Council’s (NPCC) recommendation would be formally transmitted to the DA by next week.
Agriculture Francisco Tiu-Laurel Jr.
on Thursday announced that upon the NPCC’s recommendation, a food security emergency would be declared before the end of January to address the surge in retail prices of rice.
Tiu-Laurel said the declaration would enable the National Food Authority (NFA) to sell rice stocks to local government units (LGUs) and other government agencies at a lower price, free up space in NFA warehouses, and help local farmers through palay procurement for the upcoming harvest season.
Tiu-Laurel said he would also recommend the implementation of “hybrid” tariff on rice, as part of the efforts to lower the price of the staple.
Under Executive Order 62 issued by Marcos in June 2024, the tariff on rice was reduced from 35 percent to 15 percent.
To date, the NFA has nearly 300,000 metric tons of rice stocks, which can be sold to LGUs and other government agencies.
Under the Rice Tariffication Law, the NFA’s function has been limited to palay procurement from local farmers to secure the national rice buffer stock in times of calamities.
Amended provisions, however, have increased the target procurement volume of national rice buffer stocks to 15 days from the previous nine days.
