House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez has called on lawmakers and electoral candidates to visit their districts to ensure that cheaper National Food Authority (NFA) rice is accessible and affordable to the public.
Following the Department of Agriculture’s declaration of a food security emergency, the NFA has begun selling rice at P35 per kilogram, a move welcomed by Romualdez. However, he emphasized that more efforts are needed to guarantee that the intervention truly benefits Filipinos.
“We appreciate the government’s actions, but we must not be complacent. We need to confirm if our people have rice to cook and explore ways to lower prices without hurting farmers’ incomes,” Romualdez said in a statement on Friday.
The House quinta committee, led by Rep. Joey Salceda, played a key role in discussions that pushed for the declaration of the food security emergency. Lawmakers had been urging the Department of Agriculture to take stronger measures as rice prices surged past P46 per kilogram.
Romualdez highlighted the importance of balancing price reductions with fair compensation for farmers. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the farm gate price of dry palay stood at P20.69 per kilogram in January 2025, showing a slight decline from December but still significantly higher than mid-2022 levels.
Quezon 1st District Rep. Mark Enverga also welcomed the sale of cheaper NFA rice but stressed the need for long-term solutions to prevent another price surge. He called for transparency in the rice supply chain, questioning why local prices remain high despite global market declines and tariff reductions under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Executive Order No. 62.
“We need clear pricing mechanisms, from import costs to retail prices, to prevent profiteering and ensure that affordable rice remains available to every Filipino family,” Enverga said.
