A House mega panel is looking to further reduce the current P35 per kilo price of rice sold at select local government units (LGUs), emphasizing the need for long-term affordability rather than a temporary fix.

Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga, co-chair of the House quinta committee on food security, acknowledged the government's ongoing efforts to make rice accessible to all — especially the underprivileged — by utilizing the National Food Authority’s (NFA) buffer stock, currently pegged at P33 to P35 per kilo, through the declaration of a food security emergency.

However, he stressed that the country cannot rely on this short-term measure, as it may be lifted once rice prices stabilize.

"The battle for cheap rice does not end with the current price drop. We must ensure that the steps we are taking now are long-term," Enverga, who also chairs the House committee on agriculture and food, said in Filipino on Sunday.

The food security emergency has been in effect for a month, with Metro Manila LGUs selling rice at P1,650 per sack or P33 per kilo. Retailers are allowed to sell it at a maximum of P35 per kilo as advised by authorities.

The government aims to further lower rice prices to ease the financial burden on consumers. A food security emergency can only be declared in cases of supply shortages or extraordinary price increases, as stipulated in the amended Rice Tariffication Law (RTL).

If reinforced, the NFA — previously restricted from importing and selling rice directly — would be authorized to release its buffer stocks to stabilize prices in areas experiencing spikes.

Before the RTL was enacted in 2019 under the Duterte administration, NFA rice was sold as low as P27 per kilo, significantly cheaper than imported rice. However, RTL removed the NFA’s regulatory powers over the rice sector, including price stabilization, licensing market players, and inspecting warehouses, instead liberalizing importation.

The House of Representatives had pushed for the NFA’s return to the domestic rice market, arguing that competition with commercial traders would lower prices. However, this proposal was not included in the amended RTL passed in December 2024.

Enverga warned that the temporary drop in rice prices would not bring lasting relief unless stronger measures were taken against cartels and hoarders, whom he accused of manipulating the market.

"The price of rice has decreased in the international market, the tariff has also been reduced, but the price is still high," he lamented.

Despite the implementation of Executive Order 62 in July 2024 — reducing rice import tariffs from 35 percent to 15 percent — along with declining global prices and reported surplus supply, rice prices remain high.

Government data for February showed that imported special rice ranged from P52 to P61 per kilo, with premium varieties at P51 to P58 per kilo. Locally produced special rice ranged from P55 to P63 per kilo, while premium varieties were priced at P50 to P57 per kilo — still far from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s goal of P20 per kilo rice.

The quinta committee believes rice importers are colluding with traders, causing prices to remain high.

To counter this, Enverga proposed that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) implement a suggested retail price (SRP) formula for rice, similar to other essential goods.

Under this system, importers would be required to display the SRP on packaging, while the Bureau of Customs would assess tariffs based on declared purchase costs, wholesale prices, and SRP to prevent traders from inflating prices at consumers’ expense.