Pangilinan wants Senate to dig into ‘persistently high’ food prices

Metro Manila, Philippines - An investigation into the “persistently high” costs of food and agricultural commodities is being pushed in the Senate as the 20th Congress prepares to open session.

Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, who has been offered the chairmanship of the agriculture committee, has filed a resolution calling for a legislative inquiry into food prices. The aim is to craft measures that will “ensure food affordability, strengthen food security, and protect consumers from excessive price increases.”

Pangilinan filed the resolution on July 8, a copy of which was provided to the media on Monday, July 14.

“In recent months, prices of essential food items including rice, vegetables, fish, meat, and other agricultural products have significantly increased, placing an undue burden on Filipino families, particularly the poor and vulnerable sectors,” Pangilinan said.

“According to reports from various government agencies, multiple factors contribute to high food prices, including supply chain disruptions, high production and transportation costs, importation constraints, hoarding, profiteering, and climate-related impacts on local production,” he added.

He also noted that the number of people who experienced involuntary hunger rose to 20 percent in April, according to private pollster Social Weather Stations—proof that many consumers still struggle with limited access to affordable food despite government interventions such as importation, price monitoring, and targeted subsidies.

“There is a need to review the effectiveness of existing policies, programs, and interventions to address the rising cost of food, identify systemic gaps, and recommend appropriate legislative and administrative measures,” Pangilinan stressed.

Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada has said Pangilinan has been offered the chairmanship of the Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform, in line with his advocacy, in exchange for supporting the leadership of Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero. This would place Pangilinan in the Senate majority bloc instead of the minority, where he was earlier expected to join as an opposition figure.

Pangilinan said he has not yet made a decision but emphasized that he is willing to cross party lines for what he calls the “greatest battle” — the fight against hunger, corruption, and poverty.