Gov’t monitoring retailers for price spikes, hoarding
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) announced that 1,350 local government units (LGUs) have reactivated their Local Price Coordinating Councils (LPCCs) to help monitor the supply and prices of rice and other key commodities, in support of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s goal of taming inflation.
The activation of local price councils came even as House Speaker Martin Romualdez assured funding for the government’s subsidized rice program in next year’s national budget.
Field reports show that 1,269 LGUs are now conducting regular market inspections, 230 have deputized barangay officials and NGOs to monitor price spikes, and 1,201 are coordinating with national agencies to address hoarding and unjustified price hikes.
Under Memorandum Circular 2025-044, the DILG urged all LGUs to activate their LPCCs, following the recommendation of the National Price Coordinating Council and aligned with the Department of Agriculture’s Bantay Presyo initiative.
The LPCC is chaired by the local chief executive and includes national agency representatives, private sector stakeholders, and consumer groups.
Its key functions include market inspection, price monitoring, and analysis of commodity price fluctuations.
The DILG said it is closely monitoring LGU compliance to ensure consumer protection and food affordability at the local level.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. told key officials of the National Food Authority (NFA) to ensure that rice sold by the government at P20-per-kilo is of good quality.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) said in a statement yesterday that Tiu Laurel, who also chairs the NFA Council, emphasized that this subsidized rice program presents an opportunity to shift the long-standing perception that NFA rice is substandard—an opinion being exploited by some politicians.
“This is our chance to change how people view NFA rice,” the DA chief said.
“We want to show that the rice we provide to those in need is not only affordable, but also tasty, nutritious, and just as good as, if not better than, some imported varieties,” he added.
For her part, Brigida Mesa, a rice vendor at Mandaluyong Public Market II, vouched for the quality of the P20-per-kilogram rice of the Kadiwa ng Pangulo program, saying it is comparable to more expensive varieties.
Mesa, 68, said the low-cost rice remains flavorful and well-textured, noting consistent positive feedback from buyers.
“The rice is good because only the price went down, but the quality is still there,” Mesa said, as quoted in a Presidential Communications Office (PCO) news release Sunday.
Earlier, Malacañang warned the public to be vigilant against fake news about the subsidized rice program, following the circulation of a video on social media supposedly showing poor quality of rice being sold for P20.
As this developed, Romualdez yesterday said the P20 per kilo rice is no longer a promise, citing it’s a policy in progress under the Marcos administration.
The lower chamber is fully backing the Marcos administration’s flagship initiative by preparing to institutionalize the P20 per kilo rice program through the 2026 national budget, ensuring that it becomes a sustainable, nationwide policy, and not just a pilot project, Romualdez said.
“This is not a one-time rollout. This is the beginning of a national transformation. President Marcos is showing us that with political will and smart budgeting, P20/kilo rice is not just possible— it’s happening,” he said.
Romualdez stressed Congress would support and expand this model, buying from farmers at fair prices and selling to people with low incomes at subsidized rates.
“We will allocate the necessary funds to scale this program nationwide through the 2026 General Appropriations Act,” he said.
“This kind of ayuda uplifts everyone—consumers, farmers, and the economy,” he added.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “DILG: 1.3K LGUs reactivate Local Price Coordinating Councils”