Manila: The Department of Agriculture (DA) has intensified nationwide inspections of public markets as it strictly enforces the PHP50 per kilo price cap on imported rice, issuing dozens of notices of violation (NOV) to non-compliant retailers.
According to Philippines News Agency, the DA stated that retailers selling imported rice with 5 percent broken grains above the imposed price cap were immediately issued NOVs during the simultaneous market inspections in Metro Manila. 'As long as this price cap is in effect, we will continue conducting surprise inspections across markets nationwide,' DA Assistant Secretary Wiann Angsiy said.
On May 13, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ordered the imposition of a temporary mandated price ceiling on imported rice amid what the government described as unjustified price increases and market abuse triggered by supply disruptions caused by the Middle East crisis. Under Executive Order (EO) No. 118, imported rice with 5-percent broken content will be subject to a maximum retail price of PHP50 per kilogram for 30 days.
DA Inspection teams fanned out across several markets this week to check compliance with EO as part of broader government efforts to curb food inflation. During the inspection at the Trabajo Market in Sampaloc, Manila, Angsiy issued a notice of violation against a retailer who replaced the shelf label upon knowing of the inspection. Authorities found that the retailer was selling imported rice at PHP55 per kilo, which is above the government ceiling.
In Alabang Central Public Market, inspection teams led by Undersecretary Cheryl Marie Natividad-Caballero and Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa also issued notices of violation against retailers selling imported premium rice for as high as PHP60 per kilo, as well as vendors suspected of mislabeling rice products. Meanwhile, inspectors found most rice stalls closed during the visit at the Dagonoy Market in San Andres, Manila. Market officials told DA personnel that vendors were attending a summer outing, prompting authorities to schedule another round of inspections.
Police Maj. Gen. Edgar Alan Okubo said police personnel would return to inspect the closed stalls and provide monitoring reports to the DA. The DA said the intensified monitoring comes as some retailers complain that the price cap leaves them with little or no profit because supplier prices remain high. 'If retailers are saying they cannot earn because of the prices imposed by suppliers, they have to identify those suppliers so we can go after the importers or wholesalers who may be selling way above the acceptable prices,' Angsiy said.
Authorities are also investigating allegations that some sellers are misrepresenting rice varieties to justify higher prices. Angsiy said one retailer was suspected of labeling imported rice as locally produced, although she noted that sanctions would depend on laboratory tests conducted by the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI).
The DA said enforcement teams have issued a total of 36 NOVs during the latest inspections, including 19 in the Ilocos Region, eight in Metro Manila, four in Central Luzon, three in the Negros Island Region, and two in the Bicol Region. Meanwhile, DA officials said market monitoring operations conducted simultaneously nationwide showed improving compliance with the mandated ceiling, although authorities continue to uncover cases of overpricing and suspected mislabeling.
Reports from regional field offices showed the nationwide compliance rate has reached 47.42 percent during the latest simultaneous market visits. The DA said sustained enforcement remains critical to protecting consumers from unjustified price increases and ensuring lower rice prices reach Filipino households, despite persistent challenges across the supply chain.
