Food emergency OK seen this week
THE Department of Agriculture (DA) on Saturday said that it was likely that a food security emergency, a measure that is being taken to lower the price of rice, would be declared on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. In a news forum on Saturday, Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said the proposed food security emergency declaration was due to the "extraordinary increase in rice," noting that despite slashing the tariff rate for imported rice, the price of grain staple has not gone down significantly. "The expectation is that by Monday, the DA will receive a copy of the resolution approving the recommendation to declare a food security emergency," de Mesa said. "It is expected to be reviewed by Monday until Tuesday, and by Wednesday, the secretary will have an action on that and most likely again the declaration of a food security emergency," he added. The National Price Coordinating Council (NPCC) recently approved a resolution urging the DA to declare a "food security emergency for rice" as the prices of the commodity remained high. The president on Friday said that the declaration of a food security emergency was meant "to force the price down," after the government has done everything to do so. Under Republic Act 12078, or the law amending the Agricultural Tariffication Act, the agriculture secretary has the power to declare a food security emergency on rice due to a supply shortage or extraordinary increase in prices. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. earlier said that the possibility of declaring a "food security emergency for rice" was justified, saying that there was sufficient data to support this action. Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque, who chairs the NPCC, said the move would allow the National Food Authority (NFA) to release buffer stock of rice to stabilize prices, replacing released stocks with locally produced rice to support Filipino farmers. In the same briefing on Saturday, de Mesa urged legislators to restore the regulatory functions of the NFA to help lower rice prices in local markets. He said that once the previous regulatory mandates were reinstated, declaring a food security emergency would no longer be necessary. Despite the latest moves, de Mesa said there was no shortage of rice. He noted that Republic Act 12078, which amended the Rice Tariffication Law, cites two main grounds for the DA secretary to declare a food security emergency: Shortage in supply and extraordinary increase in the price of rice. "The first main basis, lack of supply, does not exist because we have a lot of supply. So, the only basis is your extraordinary increase in price," de Mesa said. "We know that many initiatives have been taken by the government, the DA and the DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) to lower the price. First of all, the imposition of EO (Executive Order) 62, which reduces the tariff from 35 percent to 15 percent; there is also our program in Kadiwa, and what else has been mentioned by our president. Despite all of these, rice prices remain elevated, although we feel a decrease, but not to the level that we are expecting it to decrease," he said. As of Jan. 16, the price of imported and local regular and well-milled rice ranges from P37 to P53 per kilo in Metro Manila, while imported and local premium and special rice range from P48 to P65 per kilo, according to the DA Bantay-Presyo (price watch). De Mesa said the high rice price was also one of the reasons the DA was asking Congress to return the mandate on importation to the National Food Authority (NFA), "especially on two things: first, regarding regulation; second, the market intervention." "The secretary is no longer asking Congress for permission in relation to the importation capacity of the NFA, but rather on these two aspects. For that, to have regulation in the market and secondly, to intervene in the market without declaring an emergency," he said. Meanwhile, the DA will continue its programs offering affordable rice, such as the "Rice for All" that sells P38 per kilo of rice, which is mixed with broken rice grains. De Mesa said the agency was expected to expand the Rice-for-All initiative to other provinces by February or March. "We will prioritize Metro areas outside of Metro Manila, such as Cebu, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo. So we will prioritize these areas," he said. Also on Saturday, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said it intends to increase the number of prepositioned family food packs to 2.5 million boxes across the country. Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said while the DSWD has already set a record with its 2.1 million food packs already pre-positioned throughout agency storage facilities nationwide, the department plans to generate more to better stabilize its supply chain. "We really need to reach 2.5 million because we're taking advantage of the fact that there aren't many major disasters happening or affecting our country, so DSWD can prep
Tomas Kauer - Moderator 
THE Department of Agriculture (DA) on Saturday said that it was likely that a food security emergency, a measure that is being taken to lower the price of rice, would be declared on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025.
In a news forum on Saturday, Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said the proposed food security emergency declaration was due to the "extraordinary increase in rice," noting that despite slashing the tariff rate for imported rice, the price of grain staple has not gone down significantly.
"The expectation is that by Monday, the DA will receive a copy of the resolution approving the recommendation to declare a food security emergency," de Mesa said.
"It is expected to be reviewed by Monday until Tuesday, and by Wednesday, the secretary will have an action on that and most likely again the declaration of a food security emergency," he added.
The National Price Coordinating Council (NPCC) recently approved a resolution urging the DA to declare a "food security emergency for rice" as the prices of the commodity remained high.
The president on Friday said that the declaration of a food security emergency was meant "to force the price down," after the government has done everything to do so.
Under Republic Act 12078, or the law amending the Agricultural Tariffication Act, the agriculture secretary has the power to declare a food security emergency on rice due to a supply shortage or extraordinary increase in prices.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. earlier said that the possibility of declaring a "food security emergency for rice" was justified, saying that there was sufficient data to support this action.
Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque, who chairs the NPCC, said the move would allow the National Food Authority (NFA) to release buffer stock of rice to stabilize prices, replacing released stocks with locally produced rice to support Filipino farmers.
In the same briefing on Saturday, de Mesa urged legislators to restore the regulatory functions of the NFA to help lower rice prices in local markets.
He said that once the previous regulatory mandates were reinstated, declaring a food security emergency would no longer be necessary.
Despite the latest moves, de Mesa said there was no shortage of rice.
He noted that Republic Act 12078, which amended the Rice Tariffication Law, cites two main grounds for the DA secretary to declare a food security emergency: Shortage in supply and extraordinary increase in the price of rice.
"The first main basis, lack of supply, does not exist because we have a lot of supply. So, the only basis is your extraordinary increase in price," de Mesa said.
"We know that many initiatives have been taken by the government, the DA and the DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) to lower the price. First of all, the imposition of EO (Executive Order) 62, which reduces the tariff from 35 percent to 15 percent; there is also our program in Kadiwa, and what else has been mentioned by our president. Despite all of these, rice prices remain elevated, although we feel a decrease, but not to the level that we are expecting it to decrease," he said.
As of Jan. 16, the price of imported and local regular and well-milled rice ranges from P37 to P53 per kilo in Metro Manila, while imported and local premium and special rice range from P48 to P65 per kilo, according to the DA Bantay-Presyo (price watch).
De Mesa said the high rice price was also one of the reasons the DA was asking Congress to return the mandate on importation to the National Food Authority (NFA), "especially on two things: first, regarding regulation; second, the market intervention."
"The secretary is no longer asking Congress for permission in relation to the importation capacity of the NFA, but rather on these two aspects. For that, to have regulation in the market and secondly, to intervene in the market without declaring an emergency," he said.
Meanwhile, the DA will continue its programs offering affordable rice, such as the "Rice for All" that sells P38 per kilo of rice, which is mixed with broken rice grains.
De Mesa said the agency was expected to expand the Rice-for-All initiative to other provinces by February or March.
"We will prioritize Metro areas outside of Metro Manila, such as Cebu, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo. So we will prioritize these areas," he said.
Also on Saturday, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said it intends to increase the number of prepositioned family food packs to 2.5 million boxes across the country.
Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said while the DSWD has already set a record with its 2.1 million food packs already pre-positioned throughout agency storage facilities nationwide, the department plans to generate more to better stabilize its supply chain.
"We really need to reach 2.5 million because we're taking advantage of the fact that there aren't many major disasters happening or affecting our country, so DSWD can prepare," Dumlao said.
WITH MOISES CRUZ AND PNA
