The Philippines will import an additional 132,000 tonnes of rice to boost stocks in southern provinces, where prices have surged in recent weeks amid limited supply. The plan approved by regulators includes the “immediate procurement” of 32,000 tons of the staple grain. The National Food Authority (NFA), the country’s food security agency that buys most of the country’s import requirements, will issue import permits for the balance of 100,000 tons after the usual bidding process.