In his 4th State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered at the Batasang Pambansa complex in Quezon City on Monday, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. pledged to take decisive action against unscrupulous traders who manipulate the prices of agricultural commodities, particularly rice.
Marcos emphasized that the current administration is committed to dismantling smuggling operations and pursuing offenders, warning that economic sabotage cases await those who engage in such activities. “Binabalaan ko ang mga trader na magtatangkang mag-manipula ng presyo ng palay o ng bigas, o manloloko ng mga magsasaka. Hahabulin namin kayo, dahil ang trato namin sa inyong ginagawa ay tinuturing naming economic sabotage (I warn traders who try to manipulate the price of palay or rice, or cheat farmers. We will go after you, because what you are doing is considered economic sabotage),” he stated.
In September 2024, Marcos signed Republic Act (RA) 12022, also known as the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act, which classifies smuggling, hoarding, profiteering, cartel activities, and financing of these crimes involving agricultural and fishery products as acts of economic sabotage. Under this law, offenders face penalties of life imprisonment and fines of up to five times the value of the products involved in the crime.
During his previous SONA, Marcos highlighted the importance of reducing the prices of rice and other essential commodities by boosting local production, supporting the agri-fishery sector from planting and harvesting to transport and marketing, and minimizing losses. His plan to reduce the price of rice to as low as PHP 20 per kilogram has been described as a “fulfilled promise,” now being implemented through Kadiwa stores nationwide.
The “extraordinary” spike in rice prices earlier this year prompted the Department of Agriculture (DA) to declare a food security emergency for the staple in February, allowing the agency to release rice buffer stocks to stabilize prices.
As of July, Marcos intensified the campaign against agricultural smuggling, hoarding, and profiteering, resulting in the confiscation of over PHP 3.09 billion worth of smuggled rice and agri-fishery products. The DA has also partnered with the Philippine National Police to enhance efforts against agricultural smuggling.