Speaker Martin Romualdez welcomed Sept. 11 the significant decline in the prices of rice after confirming the availability of rice selling by as low as P42 per kilo during a visit to three key markets in Metro Manila Wednesday morning.
The Speaker visited Guadalupe Market in Makati, as well as the Farmers’ Market, and Nepa Q-Mart in Quezon City upon the invitation of the Philippine Rice Industry Stakeholders’ Movement (PRISM), a large organization of rice traders, the Department of Trade and Industry, and the Department of Agriculture.
He attributed the drop in rice prices to the effective interventions made by the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to reduce the costs of the Filipino staple, stabilize the food supply and protect consumers from price surges.
“On behalf of the House of Representatives, we welcome this positive development. This is truly in line with the Marcos administration’s commitment to ensuring that food, particularly rice, remains affordable and accessible for all Filipinos,” the leader of the 300-plus-strong House of Representatives said in a press release from his office.
He expressed hope that the trend will continue to bring much-needed relief to Filipino families, particularly this coming Christmas season.
Orly Manuntag of PRISM cited Executive Order No. 62 that Marcos signed last June 20, which effectively reduced the tariff on imported rice.
In addition to the decisive action of Marcos on rice tariff, Romualdez also cited the initiatives of the House leadership, including collaboration with rice traders, as a factor in the drop in rice prices.
“Together with PRISM and other stakeholders, we have been actively working to stop rice hoarding and price manipulation. I would like to commend the rice traders who have responded to our call to make rice affordable and available for everyone,” the Speaker said.
DA Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Services assistant secretary Bebang Guevarra said that the additional farm input programs being implemented by the department is expected to boost rice productivity by next year, which could further bring down the prices of the staple food.
Romualdez also called on local government units and private stakeholders to support ongoing initiatives aimed at bringing down the cost of essential goods, emphasizing that everyone has a role to play in stabilizing the market.
“This price reduction is just the beginning. We will not stop until rice is affordable to every Filipino family. We remain committed to improving the livelihoods of our farmers while ensuring that consumers are not overburdened by high prices,” he added. ||
