(UPDATE) MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. ordered the 60-day suspension of importation of regular milled and well-milled rice starting Sept. 1, 2025, Malacañang announced Saturday.
The President, through Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, issued on Aug. 29 Executive Order (EO) 93 suspending rice importation.
Upon the recommendation of the Department of Agriculture (DA), the suspension of the importation of regular and well-milled rice shall start on Sept. 1, 2025 and shall be effective for 60 days or until Oct. 30 2025.
“There is a need to suspend the importation of regular milled and well-milled rice for 60 days, which will coincide with the peak of harvest season, to enable the domestic market to absorb the local supply, stabilize prices, and help Filipino farmers sell their palay at a fair and reasonable price,” the President said in his order.
“The suspension of importation shall not cover specialty rice varieties not commonly produced by local farmers,” he added.
Marcos said the period of suspension might be shortened or extended, as may be necessary, upon the joint recommendation of the DA, Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev), and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
For this purpose, the DA, DEPDev, and DTI shall convene within 30 days upon effectivity of this Order to evaluate the effects of the suspension of importation on the supply and prices of rice in the country, and within 15 days therefrom submit a joint recommendation to the President, through the Executive Secretary.
The President directed the DA to lead and monitor the implementation of the suspension of rice importation, and undertake necessary measures to ensure that the country’s supply of rice remains sufficient during this period.
The DA, in coordination with DEPDev and DTI, shall regularly submit to the President, through the Executive Secretary, reports on the implementation of this order, which shall contain comprehensive information on the current supply of locally produced rice and the prevailing local prices.
Last Aug. 8, the DA reported that the strong local production in early 2025 and the heavy arrival of imported rice in the previous months due to its reduced tariff rates have resulted in the sharp decrease in prices across the market.
Under Section 3 of Republic Act (RA) 12078, the President is empowered to suspend or prohibit further importation of rice for a limited period and/or a specified volume whenever there is an excessive supply of imported or locally produced rice resulting in an extraordinary decrease in local prices.
Meanwhile, the DA, in coordination with Bureau of Customs and DTI, shall immediately issue the necessary guidelines for the effective implementation of this order, which shall include, among others, the participation, coordination, cooperation and assistance of concerned government agencies, bureaus, and offices and enforcement and monitoring mechanisms to ensure its successful implementation.
The DA said its recommendation to suspend rice imports was prompted by the country’s high rice inventory, which was affecting retail prices and, eventually, the farmgate prices of palay.
As of July 1, the country’s total rice stock reached a four-year high of 2.815 million metric tons (MT), based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority.
This includes over 1.3 million MT in commercial stocks, 1 million MT in households, and 447,575 MT with the National Food Authority.
According to the Philippine Rice Research Institute, average farmgate prices of fresh palay currently range from P8.33 to P17 per kilo while the price of rumble dry fetches between P15 to P22 per kilo, across the regions.
Under RA 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law, a temporary import ban may be imposed to protect local farmers when necessary.
