President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday said the government will continue to distribute rice for free to Filipinos until prices stabilize, but that the goal is to normalize the situation so that market forces can take over.

In a media interview with reporters after the distribution of rice in Siargao, Marcos said that the government has implemented various measures to stabilize rice prices, including price controls and the buying price set by the National Food Authority.

"We will just have to – if we are able to stop all smuggling and hoarding, then there will be no need for us to provide it for free because prices will stabilize and remain stable, following the natural seasonal fluctuations," Marcos told reporters.

After rice prices soared due to supply shortages, the government began distributing confiscated rice to Filipinos in several parts of the country for free.

The President said the government is also implementing other measures to stabilize prices, such as price controls and purchasing rice from local farmers at a higher price.

"All of these efforts are aimed at normalizing the situation to ensure that rice remains relatively affordable for Filipinos," Marcos said. "So, if we ever run out of seized and smuggled rice, that would actually be a positive sign, indicating that there is less smuggling and hoarding, and prices can be controlled."

Marcos said that the government is also working on long-term solutions to ensure a stable supply of rice in the country. These include increasing rice production by expanding the area planted with rice and investing in new technologies, and reducing post-harvest losses.

"We are also working on improving our rice storage and distribution system," Marcos said. "We want to make sure that rice is always available to Filipinos at a reasonable price."

Meanwhile, Marcos said that distributing smuggled and hoarded rice to poor Filipinos is one of the steps the government is taking to alleviate hunger among Filipinos nationwide.

"I am sure that you, the beneficiaries, will go home happy because you will receive a sack of 25 kilograms of rice each," Marcos said in his speech in Siargao.

"This is something different, and I'm not sure if you've heard about it because, as the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, it is my duty to improve food supply and ensure that even though the supply is sufficient, the prices are fair so that the people are not burdened," Marcos added.

Marcos also announced the launch of the "Walang Gutom" program, a food assistance program that will provide good, nutritious food to Filipinos.

"We are also working to enhance rice production," Marcos said. "Not only rice but also corn, vegetables, high-value crops, all of these to make our food supply more resilient for our countrymen."

The President also discussed the government's efforts to address the problems of smuggling and hoarding.

"We have strengthened enforcement because these activities drive up the price of rice," Marcos said.

"This has resulted in many warehouse raids where they couldn't prove the legality of their rice imports, so the government took over them, and the Bureau of Customs handled it. After that, since no legal proof of importation was provided, the rice was donated to the DSWD, which is now distributing one sack to each of you."

Marcos said that the government is continuing to work to help Filipinos who are still struggling to recover from the pandemic and other challenges.

The distributed rice in Siargao Island is part of the more than 42,000 bags of Jasmine rice seized by the BOC during its warehouse raid in Zamboanga City last May, which was later donated to the DSWD for distribution to the "poorest of the poor".