President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants a “unified” strategy to stabilize food prices, as well as policy development to shield consumers against market volatility, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said late Tuesday.
In separate social media posts, the PCO and its Radio Television Malacañang (RTVM) division said the president raised his concerns over the matter during a meeting with officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA), led by Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel in Malacañang, earlier on Tuesday.
During the sectoral meeting, the DA updated the president on how the implementation of the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act was going so far. Efforts to stop smuggling and stabilize food prices were also part of the agenda.
“The president emphasized the importance of the meeting, noting that it plays a vital role in the government’s efforts to control prices, particularly those of food products,” the communications office said.
RTVM said Marcos highlighted “the need for a unified approach to stabilizing food prices, acknowledging the meeting as a venue for developing policies that shield consumers from market volatility.”
The meeting happened weeks after the DA declared a food security emergency on rice to address “extraordinary” increases in retail prices.
The department said it is also considering selling pork at more affordable prices to give the public an alternative to rising prices of pork products.
On the other hand, the DA has shelved the imposition of a maximum suggested retail price on pork after traders agreed to review their current prices.
Power and coal
The president also received a report from the Department of Energy (DOE) on coal-fired power plants and indigenous coal mining.
The PCO-RTVM, in a Facebook post, said efforts to address “concerns regarding the coal moratorium and coal mining” were discussed.
Marcos emphasized during the meeting the importance of ensuring a reliable power supply and its critical role in sustaining the nation’s socioeconomic well-being.
“The Department of Energy briefed the president on the coal policy (regarding) coal-fired power plants and mining of indigenous coal. President Marcos emphasized that ensuring a sufficient power supply is a priority for safeguarding the socioeconomic welfare of the people.”
Marcos’ meeting with energy officials followed an International Energy Agency (IEA) report that the Philippines remains coal-reliant, with 62 percent of its power generation fueled by coal in 2024.
