DA finalizing bill restoring NFA powers

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) is finalizing a draft bill aimed to restore certain functions of the National Food Authority (NFA), particularly to ensure the P20 per kilo rice program of the Marcos administration would be sustained until the end of his term.

“The proposed bill reflects a strategic recalibration of government policy, reinforcing the DA’s role in safeguarding food security and reviving the NFA’s capacity to act decisively during periods of price volatility and supply disruptions,” said Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.

Tiu Laurel said the proposed bill, which was among those requested by Speaker Martin Romualdez, would “help the government advance its food security agenda – particularly the program of President Marcos to sustain P20 per kilo rice for vulnerable sectors through 2028.”

The proposed measure would “amend key provisions of the Rice Tariffication Law to grant certain regulatory powers to the NFA,” explained the DA.

It aims “better to manage buffer stocks, regulate rice distribution and marketing, set a floor price for palay, and support farmers’ cooperatives and recipients of Rice Processing Systems funded under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund,” it said.

Protocols for a DA-led rice importation would also be refined to ensure the country can respond swiftly to supply shortages and sudden spikes in commodity prices.