NPCC considers emergency price hikes for food, DA plans MSRP for imported rice

The National Price Coordinating Council (NPCC) met on Tuesday and is considering declaring an extraordinary price increase for food, enabling the Department of Agriculture (DA) to declare a food security emergency.

Director Cherryl Carbonell from DTI reported that the NPCC is working on crafting a resolution, with agreement among participants regarding the emergency situation.

The DA plans to implement a maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) for imported rice in Metro Manila based on the landed cost of imported rice with a reasonable markup across the supply chain as part of a pilot program.

Rep. Janette Garin dismissed the proposed PHP58 MSRP as unrealistic and called for an investigation into collusion among traders to address systemic issues inflating rice prices.

The Quinta Committee, formed under House Resolution 254, aims to tackle soaring food prices, smuggling, price manipulation, and hunger by identifying gaps in government programs and holding accountable those responsible for market abuses.