Philippines House Panel Urges Swift Action Against Rice Price Manipulation

A House panel has called for the immediate convening of a multi-agency council tasked with overseeing the implementation of the Anti-Agricultural Sabotage Act in light of the upcoming rice harvest season. The move is aimed at preventing cartels and smugglers from manipulating the price of rice, a staple crop in the Philippines.

Rep. Mark Enverga, the chair of the House Committee on Agriculture and Food, raised concerns that inadequate enforcement of Republic Act (RA) 12022 could lead to another surge in rice prices in the Philippines. He warned that unscrupulous traders might take advantage of the harvest season to artificially inflate farmgate prices, exploiting both consumers and farmers. “The law is clear: we will not allow the exploitation of farmers and consumers. If there are businessmen who manipulate the price, they must be caught immediately and prosecuted,” Enverga stated in Filipino.

The law, signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in September 2024, created a national council composed of various government agencies, including the Departments of Agriculture, Justice, Finance, and Trade and Industry, among others. The council’s primary responsibility is to dismantle cartels and prevent profiteering and hoarding of agricultural and fishery products that distort market prices.

Despite nearly six months passing since the law’s enactment, the council has yet to convene, leaving the law’s enforcement in limbo. This delay has led to widespread frustration among lawmakers and agricultural groups, as no individuals or groups engaged in hoarding, smuggling, or price manipulation have been apprehended.

Per a statement from the House, violators of the Anti-Agricultural Sabotage Act face severe penalties, including fines up to five times the value of the smuggled or hoarded goods and life imprisonment. Additionally, financing these illicit activities is classified as economic sabotage.

Enverga, who also co-chairs the House Quinta Committee, which is responsible for combating smuggling, hoarding, and price manipulation, pointed to ongoing collusion between rice importers and traders as a significant factor behind persistently high rice prices. He recalled how, during past harvest seasons, some farmers were forced to sell their palay at prices as low as P14 to P18 per kilogram—far below sustainable levels. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the average farmgate price of dry palay in January 2025 stood at P20.69 per kilogram.

In response to the growing concerns, Enverga has called on the council to develop and enforce a clear framework that will help curb price manipulation and protect farmers from exploitation in the upcoming harvest season.

Meanwhile, Agap Rep. Nicanor Briones, who also chairs the Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines, expressed strong disapproval of the council’s failure to act. “If the council doesn’t convene soon, it will only exacerbate the ongoing rice price crisis,” Briones warned, emphasizing the urgent need for action to address the situation.

Source: Tribune Net