January 20 ------ The Department of Agriculture (DA) is expected to declare a food security emergency in the coming week, particularly on Wednesday, January 22, 2025. “Ang expectation by Monday, mare-receive na ng DA ‘yung kopya ng resolution ng approval ng recommendation na mag-declare nga ng food security emergency,” DA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa told reporters at the sidelines of a news forum on Saturday. “So ine-expect na ma-review ‘yan ng Monday din hanggang Tuesday at ang expectation by Wednesday ay meron ng aksyon ang ating kalihim and most likely again the declaration of food security emergency,” de Mesa added.
The National Price Coordinating Council recently approved a resolution urging the Department of Agriculture to declare a "food security emergency for rice" as the prices of the commodity remained high. 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.
Justified
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. earlier said that the possibility of declaring a ''food security emergency for rice' is ''justified,'' saying that there is sufficient data to support this action.
According to Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque, who chairs the NPCC, said the move will allow the National Food Authority to release buffer stock of rice to stabilize prices, replacing released stocks with locally produced rice to support Filipino farmers. She said this will empower the DTI to take decisive action in protecting consumer welfare while strengthening the country's agricultural backbone. Currently, the NFA holds 300,000 metric tons of rice in buffer stocks. Releasing these reserves will help decongest warehouses in preparation for the February harvest.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., on Friday, said that the declaration of a food security emergency is meant "to force the price down" after the government has done everything to do so.
De Mesa said that the proposed food security emergency declaration was due to the “extraordinary increase ng rice,” noting that despite slashing the tariff rate for imported rice the price of grain staple has not gone down significantly. 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 is expected to expand the Rice-for-All initiative to other provinces by February or March. “Uunahin natin yung mga Metro areas outside of Metro Manila kagaya ng Cebu, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo. So unahin natin yung mga ganitong areas,” he said.
Source: gmanetwork.com
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