August 22, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — The pinnacle of a neighborhood enterprise group mentioned yesterday they’re backing the Division of Agriculture’s transfer to revisit the nation’s rice tariffication regulation, citing issues over its affect on the sector.
Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) chairman Jesus Arranza instructed The STAR that the group desires the federal government to make sure farmers and native producers are protected earlier than totally opening the market to imports.
“Liberalization can solely be performed if in case you have already fortified your native sector. What I imply is we should always first repair the issues of our home business,” Arranza mentioned in a cellphone interview.
“You need to have a robust domestic-based market. How will you be robust when the nation is flooded by cheaper imports?” he added.
The enterprise chief additionally warned that the advantages of the rice tariffication regulation have but to succeed in farmers, arguing that the system for accumulating and distributing tariffs is gradual and inefficient.
“It takes time earlier than you should utilize the tariffs as a result of it takes time to gather it. When will it attain the farmers? It’s like a lifeless horse when it arrives,” he mentioned, highlighting the necessity for reforms to make sure the regulation really helps the supposed beneficiaries on time.
Final Wednesday, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. instructed lawmakers that it’s time to amend the Rice Tariffication Legislation, warning that the measure threatens to undermine the nation’s rice sector.
“Although crafted with noble objectives, I’ve to confess, it has faltered. By totally liberalizing rice imports, it unintentionally undermined the Division of Agriculture and the (Nationwide Meals Authority), stripping us of the power to intervene and defend this most important of commodities,” Tiu Laurel mentioned on the listening to of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Meals and Agrarian Reform.
“As presently written, the (Rice Tariffication Legislation) doesn’t reform the rice business, it threatens to kill it,” he added.
Enacted in February 2019 beneath the Duterte administration, the regulation was meant to be a landmark reform for Philippine agriculture.
It ended decades-old rice import quotas, permitting personal merchants to herald rice from different international locations with solely tariff funds as a requirement.
