The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced that declaring a food security emergency is unnecessary, as rice supply remains sufficient and retail prices are stabilizing.
DA Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa explained that under the amended Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), such a declaration is only warranted in cases of supply shortages or extraordinary price spikes, neither of which is currently present.
He cited recent Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data showing rice’s diminished role in inflation and projected further price drops due to international market trends and strong local harvests.
De Mesa also noted ongoing reviews of Executive Order 62, which reduced rice import tariffs and confirmed plans to allocate P30 billion from tariff revenues to support local farmers.
Additionally, the DA has set a maximum suggested retail price (SRP) for certain rice variants to curb market abuses.
Source: PhilNews24 | January 13, 2025
