Decision to declare food emergency delayed as DA awaits reso
MANILA, Philippines — Deciding on whether or not to declare a food security emergency has been delayed, according to Department of Agriculture (DA) spokesman Arnel de Mesa, as the National Price Coordinating Council’s (NPCC) approved resolution continues to make rounds within government.
“As committed by the Secretary, DA will review it as part of due diligence in two days, and then afterwards, saka magkaroon ng (will there be a) possible declaration,” De Mesa said during a press briefing on Wednesday, January 22.
The spokesman was referring to the NPCC resolution recommending the declaration of a food emergency due to the extraordinary increase in rice prices.
“Since wala pa sa amin ‘yung kopya, then we cannot do anything about it,” De Mesa said.
(As committed by the Secretary, DA will review it as part of due diligence in two days, and then afterwards, possibly make a declaration. Since we still don’t have a copy, then we cannot do anything about it.)
Aside from the agriculture chief, members of the NPCC include the chiefs of the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Health, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of the Interior and Local Government, among others.
The DA announced on Monday that a decision will be made on January 22.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had said that the government has been considering the declaration as rice prices remain high despite tariff cuts.
Although the DA has been monitoring lower rice prices in the international market, the agency continues to mull declaring a food emergency so it can release the rice buffer stocks of the National Food Authority.
“Sa tingin namin, kailangan pa rin kasi kailangan ma-release pa rin ‘yung stocks ng NFA,” De Mesa said.
(We think we still need a declaration because we need to release the stocks of the NFA.)
The DA previously said NFA warehouses are glutted, storing 300,000 metric tons of rice buffer stocks.
The government will have to dispose of the stocks soon as harvest season is about to start. The target release of NFA rice to local governments, public markets is on February 1. — Rappler.com