President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced that the Philippines will increase its rice importation to 4.5 million tons to address shortages caused by a series of typhoons that have severely impacted the agricultural sector.
During a briefing on Typhoon Pepito, Marcos noted that the new import estimate surpasses last year’s 3.9 million tons.
“Unfortunately, I just received a report from the Department of Agriculture. It seems we will need to increase imports. The estimate is around 4.5 million tons,” Marcos said.
Rice Prices Expected to Remain Stable
Despite the planned increase in imports, Marcos assured the public that rice prices are unlikely to rise.
“The prices of imported rice have significantly dropped since last year. This time, we’re not in competition with other countries, as the typhoons mainly affected us, unlike during El Niño when the entire Southeast Asia was impacted,” he explained.
Managing Food Supply Amid Disasters
Marcos emphasized that the government is actively working to stabilize food prices and address the extensive damage caused by the series of typhoons that battered the country over the past three weeks.
“Of course, we are doing everything to control the price of food, especially those products damaged or destroyed by the typhoons. Six typhoons in three weeks. We’ll have to deal with it,” he added.
Background
Typhoon Pepito is the latest in a series of destructive weather events, following Typhoons Kristine, Leon, Marce, Nika, and Ofel. Their combined effects have taken a heavy toll on the agricultural sector, prompting the government to take immediate measures to ensure food security.