The Department of Agriculture (DA) is presently putting in the final touches to its draft bill seeking to reinstate the National Food Authority’s (NFA) critical regulatory and marketing functions in order to stabilize the supply and price of rice in the country.

To restore the NFA’s authority, the bill proposes to amend several provisions under the rice tarrification law, under which its role is limited to purchasing rice for buffer stocking and responding to emergencies. The importation of rice, meanwhile, is handled by private companies.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the measure aims to ensure sufficient rice supply and support for farmers, as well as to keep rice prices affordable.

“This is one of several measures House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez asked the DA to craft to help the government advance its food security agenda—particularly the program of President Marcos to sustain ₱20 per kilo rice for vulnerable sectors through 2028,” Tiu Laurel said.