The National Price Coordinating Council (NPCC) has approved the proposal of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to declare a food emergency, according to Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.
He said yesterday that the DA intends to declare a food security emergency on February 4 to address the soaring prices of rice.
Once declared, the government will release stocks from the National Food Authority (NFA) at a subsidized price of P36 per kilogram, to be sold to local government units (LGUs) in Metro Manila.
“Releasing 300,000 metric tons of rice to the market within six months will soften market prices. We hope this will be the start of a more stable pricing for rice,” Tiu-Laurel explained.
The declaration would make NFA rice available to consumers at P38 per kilogram in wet markets, it was disclosed.
The DA has pushed for this measure to help stem the rising retail prices of rice, which is a staple in the Filipino diet.
Tiu Laurel expressed optimism that the market will see a slight drop in rice prices, which currently stand at around P58 per kilo, with hopes of reducing them to P55 by February 5, P52 by February 15, and down to P49 by March 1.
The DA’s push for the emergency declaration is authorized under the amended Rice Tariffication Law, which allows for such actions in response to a shortage or extraordinary increase in prices.
The rice release is also intended to decongest the NFA’s warehouses in preparation for the February harvest.
As this developed, nine out of ten Filipinos said they would vote for candidates in the 2025 midterm elections who will ensure food security and create more job opportunities, a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey revealed.
The survey, commissioned by Stratbase Consultancy, showed that today’s voters want leaders who advocate and prioritize top concerns including job creation, food security, healthcare, education, and support for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
“Achieving food security is a reachable goal and it is imperative that we keep a laser-like focus on this issue because it affects every Filipino and seeps into each aspect of our nation’s life,” Stratbase Institute President Victor Manhit said.
“Job security, on the other hand, must be strengthened to ensure stability for workers. At the same time, Filipino talent remains underutilized due to labor market constraints. Unlocking the full potential of our workforce is essential for driving economic progress and fostering inclusive growth,” he further explained.
An earlier SWS report indicated that many Filipinos are worried about hunger and inflation, causing them to rate the government’s efforts to mitigate hunger as “moderate,” while its performance in controlling the prices of basic goods is “poor.”
The survey was conducted from January 17 to 20, 2025 with 1,800 respondents.
Earlier, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that inflation went up by 2.9 percent in December 2024, higher than the 2.5 percent increase in November.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) warned that prices could rise even more in 2025 due to possible increases in transport fares and electricity rates.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “Price Council approves food security emergency bid—DA.”