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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Romualdez leads filing of first House bill in 20th Congress; find out what it's about

Romualdez leads filing of first House bill in 20th Congress; find out what it's about

Published Jun 30, 2025 02:16 pm

At A Glance

  • Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez managed to snag the coveted filing of the first measure in the House of Representatives in the 20th Congress--and it has to do something about rice.
First page of the proposed RICE Act or HB No.1 (Speaker’s office)
First page of the proposed RICE Act or HB No.1 (Speaker’s office)


Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez managed to snag the coveted filing of the first measure in the House of Representatives in the 20th Congress--and it has to do something about rice.
In fact, Romualdez filed the first 10 House bills (HBs) in the current Congress after beating others in queue on the first day of filing Monday, June 30.
Romualdez--who served as House Speaker in the 19th Congress--also earned the moniker Mr. Rice in the past couple of years.
RICE Act
His advocacy is reflected in HB No.1, officially titled the “Rice Industry and Consumer Empowerment (RICE) Act. The landmark measure is aimed at reforming the National Food Authority (NFA) to help bring down rice prices, stabilize supply, and strengthen support for Filipino farmers.
As the first legislative proposal filed in the new Congress--by the presumptive Speaker, no less--the measure arguably gains priority status by default.
“Rice is life, and it is the soul of every Filipino family’s dining table. That is why this bill is the very first we filed in the 20th Congress. It reflects our singular focus on the daily struggle of every Filipino family to put affordable food on the table, and the need to recward our farmers with fair prices for their hard work,” said Romualdez.
It seeks to amend the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) and restore the regulatory powers of the NFA to intervene in the rice market and prevent hoarding, profiteering, and price manipulation.
The Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) president said that HB No.1 was in line with President Marcos’ Bagong Pilipinas campaign and his desire to bring down the price of rice to its lowest levels without being disadvantageous to rice farmers.
The measure is co-authored by Tingog Party-list Reps. Andrew Julian Romualdez and Jude Acidre.
Under the RICE Act, the NFA will regain authority to register and license grain warehouses, conduct inspections, and monitor the rice trade. It will also have the power to seize hoarded rice stocks and release them to the public to counteract artificial shortages or price spikes.
The proposed law also mandates the NFA to maintain buffer stocks sourced from local palay, and authorizes it to set and enforce a floor price for palay purchases. This means farmers can sell their harvest at fair and stable prices, while consumers benefit from a more reliable and affordable rice supply.
“We cannot fight hunger without confronting price manipulation. This bill is not about going backwards to failed models. It is about smarter regulation that meets today’s challenges like climate shocks, global price volatility and local production gaps,” explained the ex-Speaker.
The former House leader emphasized that the measure preserves the liberalized rice import regime under the RTL. but adds essential safeguards.The goal, he said, is not to restrict trade but to empower state intervention when the public interest is at stake.
Product of collaboration
The measure resulted from the collaboration of the House of Representatives during Romualdez’s speakership in the 19th Congress and several government agencies such as the Office of the President (OP), the Department of Agriculture (DA), and the NFA.
HB No. 1 also outlines penalties of up to P2 million and two years of imprisonment for violators of the floor price policy and imposes lifetime disqualification from public office for government officials who aid or abet hoarding or profiteering schemes.
“This is a bill of accountability. Dapat managot ang sinumang nambibiktima sa kahirapan ng ating mga kababayan para lamang kumita (Anybody who takes advantage of our countrymen's poverty just to earn profit must be held accountable). We intend to use the full force of the law against those who take advantage of the people’s vulnerability in times of crisis,” the ex-Speaker further said.
In the House, being able to file HB No.1 is so coveted due to the prestige and symbolism attached to it. For many, filing bills early shows that its solon-authors are hitting the ground running.
Staff members of congressmen queued as early as 2 a.m. at the South Wing Annex in the House to file their respective measure.
The 20th Congress is will run from June 30, 2025 to June 30, 2028.
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