Following a sweeping nationwide inspection, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has issued a stern warning to rice retailers against mislabeling products and breaching the state-mandated ₱50-per-kilogram price ceiling on imported rice.
The enforcement surge resulted in 36 Notices of Violation (NOVs) served to traders allegedly defying Executive Order No. 118 and established labeling laws during simultaneous market monitoring operations across the country on Monday.
During a press briefing on Wednesday, Agriculture Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Arnel de Mesa emphasized that individuals found guilty of profiteering or violating price regulations would face heavy penalties under the Price Act and the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Law.
“Kung mapapatunayan na profiteering, mabigat ‘yung kaparusahan. Pwede silang magmulta up to ₱1 million at may kasama rin na kulong,” de Mesa warned.
Retailers served with NOVs have been given a 48-hour window to file an explanation or defend their non-compliance, which includes the mislabeling of domestic and imported rice varieties.
Regional Breakdown of Violations
The DA’s inspection data revealed varying levels of non-compliance across different regions:
- Ilocos Region: 19 notices (highest regional count)
- Metro Manila: 8 notices
- Central Luzon: 4 notices
- Negros Island Region: 3 notices
- Bicol Region: 2 notices
The agency noted that the number of violations could rise as nationwide market monitoring persists.
Compliance Rates and Price Variance
Out of 1,004 rice stalls inspected across the country, 822 were found to be retailing imported rice. However, only 368 of these establishments adhered to the ₱50 price ceiling, marking a national compliance rate of just over 40 percent.
Market data showed drastic price variations across the islands. The lowest price for premium imported rice was spotted at ₱42 per kilogram in Central Luzon, whereas prices peaked at ₱70 per kilogram in the Cordillera Administrative Region.
The DA revealed that inspectors intend to revisit markets where zero compliance was logged, noting that several stalls shuttered during the synchronized inspections.
Despite the low initial compliance, de Mesa remains optimistic that figures will trend upward as sellers adapt to the price cap, which is slated to remain active until June 30.
In Metro Manila, compliance was notably stronger at approximately 70 percent, with imported rice trading between ₱46 and ₱60 per kilogram.