House Speaker Martin Romualdez says the proposal to overhaul the National Food Authority (NFA) will seek to institutionalize a win-win scenario for both farmers and consumers when it comes to the purchase of rice, the Filipino staple food.

The proposal, formally submitted by the Department of Agriculture (DA) to Malacañang last week, seeks to restore the NFA’s power to directly intervene in the rice market, especially by buying palay (unhusked rice) at competitive prices and maintaining buffer stocks to temper price spikes.

The measure also envisions a reorganized agency with a clearer mandate to support Filipino farmers and protect consumers.

“This is not just an NFA reform bill: it’s a social justice bill. It puts the full weight of the state behind our farmers and ensures our people will not be left helpless when prices go up due to war, calamity, or market abuse,” Romualdez, Leyte's 1st district representative, said.

He said the NFA overhaul reflects the House’s commitment to legislate meaningful, practical solutions to everyday problems.

“Yes, these are reforms for and within the NFA to aid both farmers and consumers. May win-win situation ito, at ito ang ating sisikaping mapanday sa magiging bagong batas (There’s a win-win situation here, and we will seek to forge this in the fire of the new law),” he said.

Under the proposal, the NFA will be empowered to purchase palay at fair farmgate prices and maintain a more robust buffer stocking system. This will allow it to step in when prices spike due to calamities, hoarding or market manipulation.

“Our farmers are our greatest resource. Hindi na dapat pinapayagan ang magsasaka na malugi. Dapat may kakampi sila sa gobyerno. Sa panukalang ito, makakabenta sila ng palay sa presyong makatao (They should have an ally in government. Under this proposal, they will be able to sell unhusked rice at consumer-friendly prices),” Romualdez said.

The draft bill also included provisions for price supports, post-harvest facilities and better coordination between the NFA and local governments, which the Speaker said will help ensure stable food supplies at the community level.

“Rice is life for Filipino families. This measure will help ensure that no household goes hungry simply because rice becomes too expensive,” stressed the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) president.

“Alam naman nating hindi sapat ang ayuda kung ang presyo ng bigas ay hindi kayang abutin ng ordinaryong mamamayan. Dito papasok ang NFA para magbenta ng bigas sa presyong abot-kaya,” he said.

(We all know that aid is not enough if the price of rice remains beyond the reach of ordinary citizens. This is where the NFA comes in, to sell rice at an affordable price.)

The bill is in line with the Marcos administration’s Bagong Pilipinas governance framework, which aims to deliver whole-of-government responses to inflation, poverty, and supply chain vulnerabilities.