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Christine Boton - The Philippine Star
June 9, 2025 | 12:00am
Rice retailers manage their stalls at Marikina Public Market on January 7, 2025.
STAR / Michael Varcas
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) is preparing to lower the maximum suggested retail price (SRP) of imported rice to P43 per kilo starting July 1.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. made the announcement over the weekend, attributing the upcoming price cut to a sustained decline in global rice prices and the government’s recent move to reduce rice tariffs from 35 percent to 15 percent beginning in July.
The DA first rolled out the maximum SRP system in January, following the lifting of India’s export ban on non-basmati rice and lower global demand after last year’s El Niño phenomenon.
Initially set at P58 per kilo for five percent broken imported rice, the maximum SRP was gradually brought down to P45 by the end of March.
Officials say the price ceiling has helped temper inflation, allowing for interest rate cuts that could stimulate economic activity and employment.
Further adjustments are also expected under the DA’s Rice-for-All program, where five percent broken rice currently sells at P43 per kilo, 25 percent broken at P35, and 100 percent broken at P33.
Tiu Laurel defended the program against concerns over its feasibility, emphasizing that it had undergone a thorough study before implementation.
The initiative is part of the P20 rice program launched last month, and is set to run until December, aiming to benefit up to 14 million low-income and minimum-wage earners.
Meanwhile, Speaker Martin Romualdez has directed a team of budget and policy experts to assess the viability of adopting the P20-per-kilo rice initiative as a permanent national program.
He also signaled the House’s readiness to legislate the proposal to help institutionalize it and provide long-term support for Filipino families.
President Marcos has instructed the DA to maintain the P20 rice program through the remainder of his term, which ends in June 2028.
