A price ceiling on imported rice took effect this week after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed an executive order capping the commodity at ₱50 per kilogram for 30 days across the country.
Executive Order No. 118, signed May 13, 2026 by Executive Secretary Ralph Recto on the President’s authority, was issued on the recommendation of the National Price Coordinating Council following what the government described as unjustified price movements in the rice market.
“There is a need for urgent measures to protect consumers by curbing profiteering and other abusive market practices, and to ensure the adequate supply, reasonable pricing, and accessibility of rice for all Filipinos,” the order read.
The measure draws legal authority from Republic Act No. 7581, or the Price Act, which allows the President to set maximum prices on essential goods under certain conditions — among them widespread illegal price manipulation, sudden unfair price increases, or prices that have risen beyond what ordinary consumers can bear.
The 30-day ceiling may be lifted earlier if the NPCC recommends it to the President. The council is also required to conduct a review every 15 days to assess whether the cap should continue, be adjusted, or be removed based on current market conditions.
Multiple agencies have been directed to enforce the order within their respective mandates. The Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Agriculture are tasked with monitoring price movements and ensuring uniform compliance, while the Bureau of Customs is directed to step up inspections and move against hoarding, smuggling, and illegal rice importation — including seizure and forfeiture of smuggled stocks where warranted.
The Philippine Competition Commission, working alongside the DTI and DA, is directed to act against cartelization and abuse of market dominance. The Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Philippine National Police are among the agencies called upon to provide enforcement support.
Under the Price Act, violations of a government-imposed price ceiling carry penalties including fines and imprisonment.
