DA awaits EO on P50/kilo price cap for imported rice

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) is expecting the executive order that will implement price ceiling on imported rice to be issued soon.

In a statement, the DA said President Marcos has approved the P50-per-kilo price cap on imported rice.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. earlier said he is hopeful the EO will be released by the end of April.

The agency assured the public rice stocks in National Food Authority warehouses remain sufficient even as demand for the government-subsidized P20-per-kilo rice program has surged.

Beneficiaries of the program are urged to register online to ensure orderly access and prevent overcrowding at outlets as well as potential abuse of the food program.

“For those who can pay slightly more, Food Terminal Inc. provides affordable rice through the Rice-for-All initiative, which has helped stabilize supply,” he added.

The DA said the online system also targets misuse.

“We’ve caught buyers presenting fake IDs, suggesting some are exploiting the program at the expense of real beneficiaries,” said Assistant Secretary Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra, head of the KADIWA ng Pangulo Program, which oversees the P20-per-kilo rice initiative.

To supplement domestic supply ahead of this year’s harvest season, the DA has allowed limited rice imports starting January.

The DA said the Mideast conflict has increased freight, insurance and input prices following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, an important trade corridor for oil and fertilizer raw materials.

It added that rice importation resumed in January and tapered in March after a four-month ban last year that pushed farmgate palay prices higher.

“If necessary, we are ready to tap other rice-exporting countries to secure additional supply,” Tiu Laurel said.

Food inflation for the country’s bottom 30 percent of households hit 3.7 percent in March from 1.9 percent in February, driven largely by cereals, fish and vegetables.

Analysts said the DA’s mix of strong domestic procurement, targeted imports and controlled online distribution help ensure subsidies reach intended beneficiaries while preventing hoarding.

Beyond rice, the DA is securing fertilizers and fast-tracking projects such as farm-to-market roads, post-harvest facilities and rice processing systems to lower production costs and boost farmers’ incomes.

DA slammed

At the Senate, Sen. Loren Legarda has criticized the DA for failing to help mountainside farmers struggling with high fuel costs in delivering their produce to markets.

Legarda bristled at the admission of DA officials during the Senate food and agriculture committee hearing on Thursday that their resources are limited to help the distressed farmers.

She cited news reports that in Benguet alone, crops like cabbage are left to rot due to oversupply and because farmers could no longer buy expensive fuel needed to harvest their own produce.

Legarda also lamented the warnings from farmers and fisherfolk groups that they would soon stop tilling the land and going out to sea because of the soaring fuel and fertilizer prices.

She pointed out that the DA has billions in public funds, yet continues to fall short in helping farmers cope with the adverse effects of the Mideast conflict.

Legarda cited the need for transport and fuel assistance, cold chain deployment, crop mapping and emergency procurement.

She likewise reminded the DA that resources are available under the 2025 national budget and continuing appropriations to help farmers affected by the current oil crisis.

“I am asking the DA to outline a clear action plan that will connect food producers directly to markets,” she said.

She said government vehicles that are parked due to austerity measures should instead be used to deliver agricultural products, with the fuel for farm to market transport charged to the government’s operating funds. — Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Ramon Efren Lazaro