MANILA, June 2 -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) has intensified nationwide inspections of public markets as it strictly enforces the PHP50 per kilo price cap on imported rice, issuing dozens of notices of violation (NOV) to non-compliant retailers.

In a news release Tuesday, the DA said retailers selling imported rice with 5 percent broken grains above the imposed price cap were immediately issued NOVs during the simultaneous market inspections in Metro Manila.

"As long as this price cap is in effect, we will continue conducting surprise inspections across markets nationwide," DA Assistant Secretary Wiann Angsiy said.

On May 13, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ordered the imposition of a temporary mandated price ceiling on impo...