MANILA — The Department of Agriculture (DA) warned rice importers against individuals peddling fake import allocations, saying the scheme falsely claims that participants will be allowed to bring in rice as early as December.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said his office has received information about people offering supposed “allocations” in exchange for enrollment in an unauthorized import program.

“This is fake news, this is a scam,” Tiu Laurel said, adding a stern warning to those behind the scheme: “We are on to you.”

He reiterated that the government’s moratorium on rice importation remains in effect until December 31, in compliance with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to stabilize palay prices and protect Filipino farmers from further losses.

The two-month import freeze imposed in September helped raise palay prices in major rice-producing provinces such as Isabela and Nueva Ecija to P13–P14 per kilo, recovering from lows of around P8 per kilo before the ban. However, prices softened again as the main harvest season peaked, prompting the government to extend the moratorium through the end of the year.

Despite the continued ban, Tiu Laurel said solicitation forms have circulated among rice millers, traders, and importers in Cebu, claiming that signatories would secure guaranteed import allocations and be allowed to import rice by December.

One such form, written in official-sounding language, contains a list of supposed “participating miller-importers” with their alleged previous import volumes and suggests that the signatories would be included in a “food security program in 2026.”

The DA urged stakeholders to exercise caution and immediately report any similar solicitations, emphasizing that no rice importation will be authorized until the moratorium expires.