The Department of Agriculture (DA) said rice prices should remain stable even after the rice import ban ended last month, citing strong local production and adequate supply.
DA spokesperson Arnel De Mesa said there is no sign of sharp price increases, noting that last year’s harvest was good and that rice inventories improved despite limited imports toward the end of 2025. He said domestic supply is sufficient.
The government had suspended rice imports from September 15 to December 31, 2025 to protect palay prices ahead of the wet harvest. With the ban lifted, up to 500,000 metric tons of rice may now enter the country, including about 50,000 metric tons allocated to the government through Food Terminals Inc. The DA has also said it plans to raise rice import duties to 20 percent from 15 percent by January 16.
As of January 8, DA price data in Metro Manila showed local well-milled rice at P44.09 per kilo and local regular milled rice at P39.38 per kilo. Imported well-milled rice was priced at P46.50 per kilo, while imported regular milled rice averaged P39.93 per kilo. Prices for special and premium rice varieties ranged from about P50 to P60 per kilo.
Meanwhile, the DA said its new website for tracking farm-to-market road (FMR) projects is now under beta testing. The portal allows the public to monitor project progress, with a full launch set for February that will also enable users to submit complaints and supporting documents. The agency said it plans to livestream bidding for FMR projects as part of its transparency efforts.
Under the 2026 national budget, the DA has P33 billion for FMR projects, enough to fund around 1,600 new roads this year. From 2021 to 2025, total FMR spending reached P76.52 billion, covering 4,810 projects, most of which have been completed. The DA said these roads have benefited hundreds of thousands of farmers by cutting transport time and costs, though a large backlog of FMR needs remains nationwide.
