By Stephanie Sevillano

FOOD SECURITY EMERGENCY. Rice varieties sell between PHP40 and PHP80 per kilo at a retail store in San Andres, Manila, on Jan. 10, 2025. Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. on Monday (Feb. 3, 2025) declared a food security emergency for rice due to “extraordinary” price increases in retail rice. (PNA photo by Yancy Lim)

MANILA – The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Monday declared a food security emergency for rice due to an “extraordinary” spike in rice prices in the country.

The declaration, under Department Circular No. 3, came a day ahead of its original schedule on Feb. 4 shortly after the transmittal of the official copy of the resolution pushing for the said declaration from the National Price Coordinating Council (NPCC) to the DA on Jan. 30.

“This emergency declaration allows us to release rice buffer stocks held by the National Food Authority (NFA) to stabilize prices and ensure that rice, a staple food for millions of Filipinos, remains accessible to consumers,” DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a statement.

Under the declaration, the NFA will start selling its rice stocks, even those not aging, in select Kadiwa ng Pangulo (KNP) sites, to local government units (LGUs), other government agencies, and government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) at PHP36/kg.

This will help both consumers and local farmers, with the availability of cheaper rice and more palay buying capacity for the country’s rice buffer stock.

The state of food security emergency, meanwhile, will be in force and effective until lifted by the DA chief, the circular said.

The formula for determining the existence of an “extraordinary” price increase in retail price shall also be reviewed every four months.

Tiu Laurel said the elevated prices have been persistent despite declining global rice prices and tariff reduction on imported rice in July 2024.

The NPCC Resolution 01 series of 2025 likewise indicated that the prices of both regular milled and well-milled rice in December 2024 are 19 percent and 20 percent higher, respectively, compared to the price elevation reported starting July 2023.

Rice inflation hit 4.2 percent during the said month, exceeding the 4 percent food inflation target of the Marcos administration, peaking even higher to 17.9 percent in September 2023, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

In January 2025, the DA set a maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) for 5 percent broken rice to help bring down rice retail prices.

Cheaper rice options are also available in Kadiwa ng Pangulo Centers and kiosks under the Rice for All and P29 program, rolled in select public markets, LRT, and MRT stations to help Filipino consumers. (PNA)