The National Security Council backs the move to declare a food security emergency for rice to lower food staple prices in Philippine markets.

In a statement on Tuesday, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año noted that the declaration also serves as a “national security interest” as food security remains a major component of the administration’s 15-point National Security Agenda, outlined in the 2023 National Security Policy (NSP).

“This is further articulated in the 2024 National Security Strategy (NSS), which mandates the government’s role in ensuring food availability, accessibility, affordability, and safety. As such, we support the declaration of a food security emergency by the Department of Agriculture to reduce the price of rice in the country,” he added.

Año explained that the Secretary of Agriculture "can declare" a food security emergency “if there is an extraordinary increase in the price of rice or if there is a rice shortage in the country” under Republic Act 12708.

While there is a sufficient supply of rice in the country, Año lamented that the price of rice remains artificially high—despite declining global rice costs and tariff reductions ordered by the President.

“Since rice is the country’s staple food, artificially high prices directly impact the lives of all Filipinos. The Department of Agriculture therefore is well within its authority to effectively regulate and reduce the price to protect the interests of the public,” Año said.

“We therefore support this measure by the DA to address high rice prices,” he added.

Further, Año called on market actors to cooperate with the government in its move to declare a food security emergency.

“Profiteering from the food security emergency, politicizing this issue for partisan political interests, and other malicious activities will cause more harm to the Filipino people. Now is not the time for more profits. Now is the time to put the country first,” he said.

On Monday, the DA said a food security emergency for rice may be declared on 22 January, following the approval of the resolution by the National Price Coordinating Council (NPCC), which recommends a "food security emergency for rice" as the prices of the commodity remain high.