The Department of Agriculture (DA) said inspection visits at various Metro Manila public markets yielded no violation notices, though some rice dealers selling above the P50 per kilogram price cap for imported grain were not issued citations because they were disposing of stock purchased at higher prices. At Commonwealth Market in Quezon City, BusinessWorld reported that some vendors were charging P55 per kilo for imported rice.
Under Executive Order No. 39, the price cap applies only to imported rice, while local varieties remain unregulated. The DA explained that dealers who bought imported rice at higher prices before the cap took effect are allowed to sell their existing stocks at the original price until those stocks are depleted. This exemption prevented any immediate violations during the initial round of enforcement.
The DA assured the public that monitoring will continue, with regular inspections to ensure compliance once old stocks are exhausted. The agency also urged consumers to report overpricing to its hotline. The enforcement aims to stabilize rice prices, which remain a key inflation driver in the Philippines.