MANILA, Feb. 3 -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Monday declared a food security emergency for rice due to an "extraordinary" spike in rice prices in the country.

The declaration, under Department Circular No. 3, came a day ahead of its original schedule on Feb. 4 shortly after the transmittal of the official copy of the resolution pushing for the said declaration from the National Price Coordinating Council (NPCC) to the DA on Jan. 30.

"This emergency declaration allows us to release rice buffer stocks held by the National Food Authority (NFA) to stabilize prices and ensure that rice, a staple food for millions of Filipinos, remains accessible to consumers," DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a statement.

Under the d...