The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has been tasked to import rice, Malacanang said on Monday.

In a press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said this means the National Food Authority would no longer have the monopoly in rice importation.

"When it comes to rice, the good news, DTI will import rice...so we would no longer depend on NFA, and it's a good news because we have already broken the NFA monopoly in deciding when to import rice, especially the cheaper rice," he said.

The Philippine International Trading Corp., an attached agency of DTI, will specifically import rice, which will be sold at P27 per kilo, he said.

Last month, some areas in Mindanao had experienced high prices of rice due to absence of NFA rice in the market.

The rice crisis prompted some lawmakers to call for then NFA Administrator Jason Aquino's resignation.

President Rodrigo Duterte later disclosed that Aquino asked that he be relieved from the post. Celerina Monte/DMS