The Department of Agriculture (DA) said it is prepared to immediately enforce President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s executive order imposing a price ceiling on imported rice, a move aimed at cushioning consumers from surging food costs amid inflationary pressures triggered by the conflict in the Middle East.
Executive Order No. 118 imposes a P50-per-kilo cap on 5 percent broken imported rice for 30 days “to address unjustified price increases, prevent market abuse, and ensure the availability of affordable rice while maintaining market stability.” The order takes effect immediately upon publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation.
“We will implement this immediately once it takes effect to help the general public cope with rising food costs,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said. He added that the DA is empowered under the Price Act and the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage law to pursue hoarders, profiteers, cartels, and other market manipulators.
Inflation has accelerated sharply since oil prices surged following the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East on Feb. 28. Headline inflation climbed to 4.1 percent in March and further to 7.2 percent in April, from 2.4 percent in February and 1.4 percent in April last year. Food inflation alone jumped to 6.1 percent in April from 2.7 percent in March, underscoring mounting pressure on household budgets.
Rice remains one of the most politically and economically sensitive commodities in the country, accounting for roughly 9 percent of the consumer basket used to measure inflation. For the poorest 30 percent of Filipino households, rice accounts for nearly one-fifth of household spending, making price spikes particularly painful for low-income families.
The DA said the temporary price cap complements earlier interventions aimed at easing inflation and stabilizing food prices. These include the rollout of the government’s P20-per-kilo rice program and the implementation of a maximum suggested retail price mechanism for imported rice, both of which helped temper rice prices before the recent oil-driven inflation surge.
Tiu Laurel said the National Price Coordinating Council would review the price ceiling within two weeks after implementation, and may recommend adjustments, an extension, or its removal depending on market conditions.
The DA added that the measure is intended as a calibrated response to extraordinary market volatility while the government continues efforts to strengthen domestic rice production and curb speculative pricing.
