The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced on Sunday that it is close to finalizing a draft bill aimed at restoring critical functions of the National Food Authority (NFA), particularly in stabilizing rice supply and prices in the Philippines.
In a news release, the DA stated that the proposed bill “reflects a strategic recalibration of government policy, reinforcing the DA’s role in safeguarding food security and reviving the NFA’s capacity to act decisively during periods of price volatility and supply disruptions.”
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. noted, “This is one of several measures House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez asked the DA to craft to help the government advance its food security agenda—particularly the program of President Marcos to sustain P20-per-kilo rice for vulnerable sectors through 2028.”
The bill aims to amend key provisions of the Rice Tariffication Law, granting the NFA regulatory powers to better manage buffer stocks, regulate rice distribution and marketing, set a floor price for palay, and support farmers’ cooperatives and recipients of Rice Processing Systems funded under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund.
Additionally, the DA indicated that the bill will refine protocols for DA-led rice importation, ensuring the country can respond swiftly to supply shortages and sudden spikes in commodity prices.