The Department of Agriculture (DA) in the Philippines has declared a food security emergency for rice, prompted by an unprecedented surge in retail prices. This declaration, announced by DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., was made earlier than planned on February 3, 2025, following a resolution from the National Price Coordinating Council (NPCC) received on January 30.
The emergency measure authorizes the release of rice buffer stocks by the National Food Authority (NFA) to help stabilize prices and ensure that rice, a staple in Filipino diets, remains affordable. The NFA will sell its rice, including non-aging stocks, at PHP36 per kilogram through various Kadiwa ng Pangulo sites, local government units, other government agencies, and government-owned corporations.
This initiative aims to benefit both consumers, by providing cheaper rice, and local farmers, by increasing the capacity to purchase palay for the national buffer stock. The emergency status will remain in effect until it is lifted by the DA Secretary.
The DA will review the criteria for determining an ‘extraordinary’ price increase every four months. Despite global rice prices falling and a tariff reduction on imported rice in July 2024, domestic prices have remained high. According to the NPCC, prices for regular and well-milled rice were 19% and 20% higher in December 2024 compared to July 2023.
Rice inflation reached 4.2% in December 2024, surpassing the Marcos administration’s 4% food inflation target, and had peaked at 17.9% in September 2023, as reported by the Philippine Statistics Authority. In response, the DA set a maximum suggested retail price for 5% broken rice in January 2025 to curb retail prices.
Additionally, the government has made cheaper rice available through the Rice for All and P29 program at Kadiwa ng Pangulo Centers and kiosks located in select public markets and transport stations, aiming to assist Filipino consumers.