Officials in Occidental Mindoro have said they have stockpiled 869,000 bags of unmilled rice and 90,000 bags of milled rice – enough for 144 days based on daily consumption patterns.

“If we mill all the palay [unmilled rice], we will have 637,000 bags of rice available for the province,” said Elimar Regindin, local manager of the National Food Authority (NFA).

The provincial stockpile will remain stable despite the province’s participation in the government’s subsidized rice program, Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na!, which provides rice at 20 pesos per kilogram.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expanded the program, saying it has already helped nearly one million Filipinos since launching in May.

However, rice prices have continued to climb nationwide.

Currently, regular milled rice costs 19% more than a year ago, while well-milled rice is 20% more expensive, despite government measures to reduce import tariffs.

The Department of Agriculture declared the food security emergency in February 2025, citing rice prices of 50-60 pesos per kilogram in retail markets.

The provincial government has positioned 27,900 family food packs across six municipalities as part of disaster preparedness efforts.

The largest reserves are stored in San Jose town (12,387 packs) and Sablayan (9,247 packs), with smaller quantities distributed to Rizal, Lubang, Abra de Ilog, Magsaysay, Mamburao and Paluan.

“Having food available can motivate families to persevere during challenging situations,” said Bryan Asturias from the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Emergency protocols allow disaster management councils, local governments and welfare departments to buy rice directly from NFA stocks during crises.

The Philippines, despite being an agricultural nation, relies heavily on rice imports to feed its 110 million population.

Rice is the country’s staple food, consumed at nearly every meal.

photo courtesy of NFA