House Speaker pledges support for Marcos Jr.'s food security measures

Speaker Ferdinand Romualdez pledged on Friday that the House of Representatives would continue supporting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s efforts to ensure food accessibility and affordability, citing lower September inflation rates as evidence of positive results.

Romualdez highlighted government measures such as reducing rice import tariffs from 35 percent to 15 percent and direct sales through Kadiwa stores, which have led to a significant decrease in rice prices.

The September inflation rate eased to 1.9 percent, the lowest in four years, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

House oversight committees will monitor reports of smuggling, hoarding, and price manipulation to enforce the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act.

Department of Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel De Mesa highlighted that reduced tariffs on imported rice and programs like P29 and Rice for All have contributed to lower prices.

Romualdez noted that the President's flagship programs such as Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) and PAFFF have visited 24 areas across the Philippines, granting over PHP10 billion in government services and cash aid benefiting more than 2.5 million Filipino families.

The House will also contribute to taming inflation by exercising its oversight power through a five-committee panel created to look into reports of smuggling, hoarding, price manipulation, and other practices in restraint of trade.