MANILA (UPDATE) — The government could declare a food security emergency on rice by the first week of February, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said Friday. 

Tiu Laurel said he expects to make the declaration on Tuesday, February 4, after receiving the official recommendation from the National Price Coordinating Council.

Once the food security emergency is declared, stocks from the National Food Authority will be sold to local government units in Metro Manila for P36 per kilo, which can be sold in wet markets at P38 a kilo, officials earlier said.

The secretary also announced that by March 1, the price of imported rice is expected to go down by P49 per kilo.

“Tuloy-tuloy ang ating hangad na mapababa ang presyo ng bigas para sa pangkalahatan at sa ngayon yung ating (maximum suggested retail price) is nasa P58/kilo, and by February 5 to P55, by February 15 to P52/kilo at by March 1 dapat ang pinakamataas na imported rice sa palengke ay nasa P49/kilo na lamang,” Tiu Laurel said.

(We still hope to lower the prices of rice—right now the MSRP is at P58/kilo, and by February 5 to P55, by February 15 to P52/kilo and by March 1 the most expensive imported rice in the market should only be at P49/kilo.)

DA also offered P29/kilo of rice at the first-ever job fair of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for 4Ps beneficiaries.

“Ito ang kauna-unahan na job fair na tanging para sa mga 4Ps beneficiaries natin. Para masigurado na yung mga 4Ps beneficiaries natin ay patuloy na masubaybayan ang inyong mga pangangailangan. Kasama ho diyan ang makahanap ng trabaho at siguraduhin na hindi na ulit tayo babalik sa kahirapan,” DSWD secretary Rex Gatchalian said.

(This is our first job fair for our 4Ps beneficiaries. So we could make sure that their needs are met and they have jobs so they don't slip back into poverty.)

Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) secretary Bienvenido Laguesma meanwhile said this event is a whole-of-government approach of the administration collaborating with DSWD, Office of the President, DA and other government agencies.

“Mayron pong mga kahalintulad na gawain na isinasagawa sa lahat ng rehiyon sa buong kapuluan kung sana ang mga 4Ps beneficiaries at kalahon. Huwag sana ninyo sayangin, bagkus ay pagyamanin ang pagkakataon alay sa inyo sa araw na ito,” Laguesma said.

(We have similar activities in the other regions as well for our 4PS beneficiaries. Please don't waste this opportunity and grab the opportunities being made available to you today.)