National Security Adviser (NSA) Eduardo Año on Tuesday expressed support for the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) initiatives calling for the declaration of “food security emergency” to help bring down reduce rice prices in the country.

In a statement, Año said food security is a national security interest and a major component of the Marcos administration’s 15-point National Security Agenda as outlined in the 2023 National Security Policy (NSP).

“This is further articulated in the 2024 National Security Strategy (NSS) which mandates the government’s role in ensuring food availability, accessibility, affordability, and safety. As such, we support the declaration of a food security emergency by the DA to reduce the price of rice in the country,” he added.

Under Republic Act 12708, the DA chief is empowered to declare a food security emergency if there is an extraordinary increase in the price of rice or if there is a rice shortage in the country.

“While there is sufficient supply of rice in the country, the price of rice, however, remains artificially high despite declining global rice costs and tariff reductions ordered by the President. Since rice is the country’s staple food, artificially high prices directly impact the lives of all Filipinos,” the NSA added.

Año said the DA is within its authority to effectively regulate and reduce the price to protect the interests of the public.

“We therefore support this measure by the DA to address high rice prices. Nonetheless, we call on market actors to be one with the government in this endeavor,” he added.

Año said profiteering from the food security emergency, politicizing this issue for partisan political interest, and other malicious activities will cause more harm to the Filipino people.

“Let us all remain committed to this effort with the same spirit and dedication we have always shown to bolster our collective security as a nation,” he said. (PNA)