MANILA, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos has ordered an extension of the country's rice import ban to support Filipino farmers and stabilize rice prices, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said Friday.

In a news conference, Castro said Marcos sought to protect the rice farmers during the peak harvest season. However, she did not specify how long the extension will last.

The rice import ban, initially implemented on Sept. 1, was imposed to help farmers recover from falling prices of palay, or unhusked rice, triggered by a surge in cheaper imported rice. ■