The Department of the Interior and Local Government-Cordillera is urging local government units in the region to monitor and provide assistance to the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Agriculture in enforcing the price ceilings on rice.
Tasks assigned to the LGUs are, establish Local Price Coordinating Councils; conduct regular inspection of public and private markets, rice warehouses in their jurisdiction, if there are any, to address hoarding and unreasonable price increase; activate hotlines, consumer complaints desk, and timbangan ng bayan; designate barangay officials and non-government organizations to monitor abnormal price increases and to actively coordinate with the DTI, DA, and other government agencies to prevent unwarranted price increases and hoarding of rice and other prime commodities.
LGUs are also reminded to extend assistance to the DA in their exercise of their regulatory and visitorial powers, in the inspection of cold storage warehouses, and in the implementation of search warrants against those suspected of violating Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016, the Price Act, and other related laws.
On Sept. 1, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued Executive Order 39 mandating a price ceiling on rice following reports on widespread price manipulation.
The Philippine National Police was also tasked to assist LGUs in the implementation of the price ceiling.
EO 39 sets the price of for regular milled rice at P41 per kilo, and P45 per kilo for well-milled rice. The price caps do not cover special and premium rice varieties. – Press release
