MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered a 60-day suspension of rice imports, a move aimed at protecting Filipino farmers during the peak harvest season.
Malacañang announced on Saturday that the order, issued through Executive Order (EO) 93, will take effect on September 1, 2025, and run until October 30, 2025. It covers the importation of regular milled and well-milled rice, but not specialty rice varieties that local farmers typically don’t produce.
In his order, the President stressed the importance of giving local farmers a fair chance:
“There is a need to suspend the importation of regular milled and well-milled rice for 60 days… to enable the domestic market to absorb the local supply, stabilize prices, and help Filipino farmers sell their palay at a fair and reasonable price,” Marcos said.
The suspension may be shortened or extended, depending on the recommendations of the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev), and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). These agencies are tasked to evaluate its impact within 30 days and report directly to the President.
The DA will lead the implementation of the suspension, ensuring that rice supply remains sufficient while closely monitoring market prices.
This decision comes after the DA reported a sharp drop in rice prices due to strong local production in early 2025 combined with a surge of imported rice brought in under reduced tariff rates.
As of July 1, the country’s rice stock stood at a four-year high of 2.815 million metric tons, based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority. The stockpile included:
-
1.3 million MT in commercial warehouses
-
1 million MT in households
-
447,575 MT held by the National Food Authority
Despite the abundant supply, farmers have been struggling. According to the Philippine Rice Research Institute, average farmgate prices of fresh palay have dropped to as low as ₱8.33 per kilo, while dry palay fetches between ₱15 and ₱22 per kilo depending on the region.
Under the Rice Tariffication Law (RA 11203), the President is empowered to temporarily suspend imports when there is an oversupply that causes a steep decline in local prices.
With this 60-day suspension, the government hopes to give farmers breathing space, stabilize the market, and prevent further erosion of farmgate prices.
