MANILA – Speaker Martin Romualdez on Wednesday welcomed the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) move to set the National Food Authority (NFA) rice price at PHP35 per kilo, calling it a significant step toward food security.

Romualdez said alongside this development, the government must also ensure fair income for farmers to sustain local rice production.

“Ensuring that rice remains affordable is crucial for our consumers. However, we must also ensure that our farmers receive fair compensation for their hard work,” he said in a statement.

The House leader’s remark came after the DA announced price cuts for Rice for All (RFA) options under the Marcos administration’s Kadiwa ng Pangulo (KNP) program.

Starting Wednesday, RFA5 rice will drop to PHP43/kg., RFA25 to PHP35/kg., and RFA100 to PHP33/kg.

The National Food Authority will also continue selling aging but good-quality rice at PHP29/kg. for vulnerable sectors, including beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and solo parents.

Romualdez stressed the need to balance consumer needs with farmer welfare.

“Ang ideal na sitwasyon ay mapanatili ang mataas na farmgate price na nagbibigay ng tamang kita para sa ating mga magsasaka habang sinisiguro na ang presyo ng bigas sa merkado ay abot-kaya para sa mga mamimili (The ideal situation is to maintain a high farmgate price that provides a fair income for our farmers while ensuring that the price of rice in the market is affordable for consumers),” he said.

Romualdez vowed that the lower chamber will monitor the implementation of the pricing strategy.

“We will closely observe how this policy unfolds and determine if additional government interventions are necessary to sustain it,” he said.

He recommended providing subsidies or targeted assistance programs to support farmers.

“Nakahanda ang Mababang Kapulungan na pag-aralan ang posibleng subsidiya o targeted assistance programs para matiyak na hindi malulugi ang ating mga magsasaka habang nananatiling abot-kaya ang bigas para sa publiko (The lower house is ready to study possible subsidies or targeted assistance programs to ensure that our farmers do not incur losses while rice remains affordable for the public),” he said.

He called for strong coordination between the DA, NFA, and lawmakers to prevent adverse effects on rice producers.

“I urge the Department of Agriculture and the National Food Authority to work closely with Congress to ensure that this policy does not unintentionally discourage local rice production,” he said.

He reiterated that the end goal is food security that "benefits both farmers and consumers."

“Alam natin na hindi madali ang pagsabayin ang interes ng mga magsasaka at mamimili, ngunit ito ay mahalaga para sa ating ekonomiya at seguridad sa pagkain (We know that it is not easy to align the interests of farmers and consumers, but it is important for our economy and food security),” Romualdez said.

Romualdez said continuous assessment of the policy’s impact and open dialogue among stakeholders are necessary to ensure no sector will be left behind.

He also said the House is prepared to intervene if adjustments are needed.

“We are committed to finding solutions that uphold the welfare of our farmers while ensuring that every Filipino has access to affordable rice," he said.