THE proposed extension of the ongoing importation freeze for rice is also still on hold pending the recommendation of the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DepDev) on the matter, according to Malacañang.
Last week, the Department of Agriculture (DA) announced it proposed extending the importation suspension for rice until the end of the year to keep the price of the local food staple stable.
However, as of Tuesday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has yet to come out with the issuance for the extension.
Citing her discussion with DepDev Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan, Palace Press Office Claire Castro said evaluation of the proposed extension is still ongoing.
“Probably by next week, we will see if there is already a recommendation from DepDev,” Castro said in a press briefing.
In August, Marcos issued Executive Order (EO) No. 93 for the implementation of the 60-day importation suspension for rice upon the recommendation of DA “to enable the domestic market to absorb the local supply, stabilize prices and help Filipino farmers sell their palay at a fair and reasonable price” amid the harvest season.
The importation suspension took effect in September and will end on 2 November 2025.
In its latest data, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported that the average farmgate price for palay or unmilled rice was at P17.11 per kilo, which is 27.8 percent lower compared to P23.1 per kilo in the same period last year.
Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) Director Carlos Juan Pablo Vega has expressed reservation on the said extension since it can lead to higher retail price for rice and it leaves farmers at the mercy of wholesalers, millers and traders.
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