The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) slammed the recently declared Food Security Emergency by the Marcos Jr. administration and the Department of Agriculture (DA), calling it one of the many superficial and short-term measures that fail to address the issues plaguing the country’s rice sector. The measure—supposedly aimed at stabilizing rice prices and combating illegal market practices—highlights the failures of RA 11203 or Rice Liberalization Law and the broader neoliberal framework driving the Philippines’ agricultural policies.

“This declaration is nothing more than a band-aid solution to a festering wound created by years of neglect and anti-farmer policies,” said KMP Chairperson Danilo Ramos. “Releasing 300,000 metric tons of NFA rice to the market will only provide temporary relief, lasting a mere two to three days. It does not address the root cause of runaway rice prices and the worsening plight of Filipino farmers and consumers.”

The Food Security Emergency declaration claims to provide support for local farmers by mandating the National Food Authority’s (NFA) to replenish stocks through local procurement. However, KMP noted that such a measure is undermined by the overarching reliance on rice imports and the government’s failure to protect the local rice industry.

“While the DA promises local procurement, it has allowed importation to dominate the rice market. In 2024 alone, the Philippines imported 4.68 million metric tons of rice, and the USDA projects even higher import levels of 5.22 million metric tons in 2025. This underscores our continued dependence on imported rice, which suppresses farmgate prices and further impoverishes our farmers,” Ramos added.

The group also criticized the Marcos administration’s so-called emphasis on price stabilization without addressing long-standing issues like hoarding, price manipulation, and smuggling. According to KMP, the control of rice pricing and supply remains concentrated in the hands of private traders and importers, while consumers and farmers bear the brunt of high prices and low incomes.

KMP demanded accountability from President Marcos Jr., noting his administration’s role in exacerbating the rice crisis through the continued implementation of the Rice Liberalization Law and Executive Order No. 62.

“The Rice Liberalization Law has wreaked havoc on both farmers and consumers. Instead of protecting local production, it has handed over control of our food supply to foreign and private interests. Declaring a food emergency now is an actual admission of failure,” Ramos, also a Makabayan senatorial candidate said.

KMP urged Filipinos to join the growing resistance against anti-people neoliberal policies that have crippled the country’s food security and led to worsening poverty and hunger.

“We call on farmers, workers, consumers, and all sectors to push for genuine agrarian reform and food sovereignty. The fight is not just for affordable rice but for a food system that prioritizes the rights and welfare of the Filipino people over profit-driven policies,” Ramos concluded.