Bill seeking regulatory, marketing powers for NFA almost ready — DA
The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Sunday said it is almost done with a draft bill that aims to restore critical functions of the National Food Authority (NFA), particularly in stabilizing rice supply and prices in the country.
In a news release, the DA said the proposed bill 'reflects a strategic recalibration of government policy, reinforcing the DA's role in safeguarding food security and reviving the NFA's capacity to act decisively during periods of price volatility and supply disruptions.'
'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 P20-per-kilo rice for vulnerable sectors through 2028,' said Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr.
According to the DA, the bill seeks to amend key provisions of the Rice Tariffication Law to grant certain regulatory powers to the NFA so it could better manage buffer stocks, regulate rice distribution and marketing, set a floor price for palay, and support farmers' cooperatives and recipients of Rice Processing Systems funded under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund.
The DA added the bill will also refine protocols for a DA-led rice importation to ensure the country can respond swiftly to supply shortages and sudden spikes in commodity prices.
'Critically, the measure grants the NFA greater flexibility in managing the appropriate level of buffer stock and ensuring that they are always of optimum quality—an essential tool in supporting not only the P20-per-kilo rice goal but also broader government efforts to ensure price stability and protect both producers and consumers,' the department said.
'These changes will significantly address market inefficiencies and promote fairness—especially for farmers who work the land for months but remain the most disadvantaged,' said NFA Administrator Larry Lacson. 'For the NFA, this means becoming more efficient, more responsive, and financially stronger.' —RF, GMA Integrated News
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GMA Network
2 days ago
- GMA Network
Six OFWs from Iran arrive safely in PH
Six overseas Filipino workers (OFW) repatriated from Iran amid its conflict with Israel arrived safely in the Philippines on Saturday morning, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said. The OFWs — five who worked as shrimp hatchery technicians in Iran and one domestic worker from Dubai who accompanied her employer to Iran as a tourist — arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City. Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan, Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega, and DMW Assistant Secretary Venecio Legaspi welcomed the OFWs. The repatriated workers were also met by the MIA Medical Team as well as a social welfare officer of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. The OFWs boarded an Emirates flight to Manila. "The repatriation was made possible through the efforts of the Philippine Embassy in Tehran, led by Ambassador Roberto Manalo, in close coordination with the DMW and OWWA," the DMW said. The repatriated OFWs were given financial assistance by the DMW, OWWA, and DSWD. The MIA Medical Team also provided them with food and medical services. The OWWA will give the OFWs temporary hotel accommodations and domestic flights back to their home provinces. The DMW said two more OFWs from Iran are expected to arrive on Saturday night. "This group marks the first batch of Filipinos repatriated from Iran following the June 13 Israel-Iran conflict," the DMW said. President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. on Monday tasked government offices to take the necessary steps to ensure the safe and orderly return of Filipino workers who wish to avail themselves of voluntary repatriation. In a statement, Marcos said the government is already processing over 200 requests for repatriation and ''we are moving quickly to bring them home while others have opted to remain at work.'' ''I urge our fellow Filipinos to coordinate with our embassies in Tel Aviv and in Tehran. Please follow their guidance, inform them of your situation, and do not hesitate to ask for assistance,'' Marcos said. The Philippine government raised crisis alert level 3 in Israel and Iran on June 20, urging Filipinos in the area to avail of voluntary repatriation. Crisis level 3 or voluntary repatriation phase is imposed by the Philippine government on countries with deteriorating security conditions. At least 30,000 workers, mostly caregivers, are in Israel, and more than 1,000 are in Iran. Tensions heightened between Israel and Iran on June 13 after Israel struck nuclear and military targets Tehran with missiles. According to an Israeli military official, Iran had enough material to make 15 nuclear bombs within days. Iran retaliated, then both countries traded missile attacks. The US also bombed Iran nuclear sites on June 21, and Iran thereafter fired missiles at an American base in Qatar on June 23. A ceasefire between Israel and Iran was announced by US President Donald Trump. —KG, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
3 days ago
- GMA Network
SM hospitality arm earmarks P5.3 billion for 5-year MICE expansion
SM Hotels and Convention Corp. (SMHCC), the hospitality arm of Sy-led property giant SM Prime Holdings Inc., is embarking on an expansion initiative for its meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) footprint. In a statement, SM Prime said SMHCC has set aside a P5.3-billion investment to ramp up its MICE portfolio over the next five years. The Sy family's property developer said its hospitality arm's expansion will begin with two major developments in Cebu and Pasay. SM Prime said the SMX Convention Center Seaside Cebu is set to open in the third quarter of 2026. SMX Cebu is poised to be one of the largest and most modern convention venues in the Visayas. The convention center in the "Queen City of the South" will have 21,000 square meters of leasable space across six levels, directly integrated with the SM Seaside Arena and SM Seaside Cebu Mall. SMHCC also broke ground on SMXCITE at the Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City last April. SMXCITE, set to open in the first quarter of 2027, is seen to add 18,000 square meters of leasable space to the existing 17,000 square meters at SMX Manila, enabling SMHCC to accommodate large-scale, concurrent events. "Our expansion into Cebu and Pasay reflects our strong belief in the potential of these cities. By building next-generation venues with scale and flexibility, we are enabling more communities to benefit from the business and tourism opportunities that MICE events bring," said SMHCC executive vice president Peggy Angeles. These projects are part of SMHCC's broader strategy to grow its events portfolio outside Metro Manila and support economic activity in emerging urban centers, according to SM Prime. The Sy-led property developer said each SMX venue is co-located with hotels, malls and transport infrastructure to provide seamless access for organizers and guests. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
3 days ago
- GMA Network
Palace hits VP Sara for saying she doesn't favor any country
Malacañang on Friday criticized Vice President Sara Duterte for saying she does not favor any country at all. This developed after Duterte recently shrugged off allegations that her family is pro-China as she also questioned the Marcos administration's foreign policy. Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro on Friday reiterated that President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., for his part, is pro-Philippines. Castro stressed that Marcos has promised that "he will not yield even an inch of our territory." "Ang tunay na Pilipino, umaawit ng Lupang Hinirang na may dangal. Sinasambit ang mga katagang, 'Ang mamatay nang dahil sa 'yo.' Sabi nga po ni Dr. Jose Rizal, 'Ang hindi marunong magmahal sa sariling wika ay masahol pa sa hayop at malansang isda,"' Castro said when asked about Duterte's recent statements. (A true Filipino sings Lupang Hinirang with dignity. They recite the words, 'To die because of you.' Dr. Jose Rizal even said, 'Those who do not learn to love his or her own language are worse than animals or slimy fish.') "Paano pa kaya ang isang Pilipino at isang lider na umaming hindi mahal ang kaniyang sariling bansa, ano kaya ang kanilang amoy? Iyon lang po," she added. (How about a Filipino and a leader who admitted that she doesn't love his or her country. What's the smell of this person? That's all.) GMA News Online asked Duterte's camp for comment on the matter, but it has yet to reply as of posting time. Last Wednesday, the Vice President expressed frustration with the state of the Philippines under Marcos, saying she gets embarrassed as a Filipino thinking that other countries are seeing its debacle. She said, "Matagal na nilang narrative na pro-China ako. I am not pro any country at all. Ang sinasabi ko lagi, we need to develop, we need to maintain, and we need to level up our relations with all countries, hindi lang sa China." (They've been using that 'I am pro-China' narrative for a long time now. I am not pro any country at all. What I always say is that we need to develop, we need to maintain, and we need to level up our relations with all countries, not just China.) Castro had said that Marcos already expected her criticisms on how the government is handling the territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) as the Dutertes are pro-China. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
