Senator Imee Marcos on Sunday questioned the continued use of imported rice in the government’s benteng bigas program, despite the ongoing harvest season and the absence of any declared supply shortage.
The President’s sister expressed concern that some officials may be prioritizing profit over the welfare of local farmers.
“It is clear there is no shortage because the Department of Agriculture has not declared any,” she said, referring to the Department of Agriculture.
The senator argued that local production remains sufficient to support the program, which distributes subsidized rice at 20 pesos per kilo.
She noted that even if each household receives up to 30 kilograms per month, total annual demand would still fall within domestic output.
Marcos also slammed officials of Food Terminal Incorporated, alleging that some may be favoring importation to maintain their positions rather than fulfilling the agency’s mandate to support local producers.
She raised concerns over the apparent inactivity of FTI’s Trading Unit, which is tasked with directly purchasing produce from farmers.
The lawmaker also warned against reviving contract-growing arrangements merely to justify continued rice importation, stressing that such moves could disadvantage Filipino farmers during peak harvest.
“It’s already harvest season, why are we still importing? Are we going to underprice our own farmers again?” Marcos said.
During the 2022 presidential campaign, President Marcos Jr. pledged to bring rice prices down to P20 per kilo, framing it as achievable through improved supply chains and reduced logistics costs.
Early in his presidency, he also served as agriculture secretary to directly oversee reforms.
However, the target has remained largely unmet for most Filipinos, with retail rice prices typically ranging far above P20 due to high production costs, import dependence, and global supply pressures.