The National Price Coordinating Council (NPCC) has approved a resolution urging the Department of Agriculture (DA) to declare a "food security emergency for rice."

This move follows the persistently high prices of the staple grain despite declining rice costs in the global market and a reduction in rice tariffs from 35 percent to 15 percent.

In a statement on Thursday, the DA said NPCC Chair and Trade and Industry Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque emphasized that the declaration would enable the National Food Authority (NFA) to release buffer stock rice to stabilize local prices. The NFA would also replenish the released stocks with locally produced rice.

Trade Secretary Roque said the declaration would empower the Department of Trade and Industry to take decisive action in protecting consumer welfare while bolstering the nation’s agricultural sector.

“By prioritizing the produce of hardworking Filipino farmers, we are fostering a resilient and self-reliant Bagong Pilipinas — one that ensures stability, sustainability, and shared prosperity for both consumers and the agricultural sector,” she said.

Under the Rice Tariffication Law, the NFA, which currently stores 300,000 metric tons of rice in buffer stock, is authorized only to procure palay from local farmers and maintain buffer stocks. Thus, the DA said declaring a food security emergency would temporarily expand its capabilities.