THE Department of Agriculture-Davao Region (DA-Davao) assured the public that the rice supply in the region is stable due to sufficient rice importation, following concerns raised over supply in the city amid rising fuel costs due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Macario “Bong” D. Gonzaga, regional director of DA-Davao, said that rice imports reach 104 metric tons, adding to an ongoing harvest by local farmers in their areas.
He said that the region has 59,000 hectares of rice production, which would be sufficient, estimating a 60-day buffer stock from the National Food Authority (NFA).
Gonzaga said that the price of rice, based on their latest monitoring, may increase by only P5 within the next three months. However, with the ongoing increase in oil prices, the department cannot stop prices from going up.
He said that in his dialogue with rice importers and dealers, the rise in the price of rice is due to increased fuel costs, as they have to allocate more funding for logistical needs. He, however, assured that they are monitoring rice prices from time to time.
“Wala ko nabalaka sa supply, pero ang presyo basin naa gyud adjustment from time to time (“I’m not worried about the supply, but the price, there might be adjustment from time to time),” he said in a media interview on Tuesday, March 25, 2026, at the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
Fuel subsidy for farmers, fisherfolk
With increasing fuel costs, DA will be providing a P5,000 fuel subsidy to each registered farmer and fisherfolk to augment their income. Gonzaga said they are now in the process of preparing the master list for the farmers and fisherfolk assistance program.
He said they aim to provide the fuel subsidy to farmers and fisherfolk within the month of March, as the only thing they are currently working on is the masterlist. He added that some farmers and fisherfolk already have monitoring cards where the fuel subsidy will be credited.
There are around 396,397 registered farmers and 114,810 fisherfolk in the region who are set to receive the fuel subsidy.
Basic goods monitoring
Gonzaga added that the region also has sufficient chicken and pork supply, but if the crisis in the Middle East continues, the prices of these products will definitely increase.
This is also the case for spices and vegetables. He said that their office expects the prices of the vegetables to increase gradually due to rising fuel costs, thereby increasing the cost of logistics. However, he said that their office is strictly monitoring sellers and retailers to ensure that they do not take advantage of the situation.
Gonzaga said that their department is a member of the Davao City Price Monitoring Council and the Task Force on Price Monitoring, which is headed by the City Mayor’s Office. At the regional level, it is headed by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), which is in charge of monitoring the prices of basic goods and primary commodities in the region.
“We are mandated to monitor everyday, naa gyud me mga tao throughout the region adlaw-adlaw para magbantay sa mga presyo, pag-monitor (We are mandated to monitor every day; we have personnel across the region daily to watch and monitor the prices),” he said.
He emphasized that DA does not have direct control over the prices of basic goods, since its mandate is to monitor prices set by businesses. He added that only the monitoring council has the authority to call out suppliers and sellers who engage in hoarding and profiteering. RGP