go through Chloe Mari A. Hufana, reporter
Monday, the Ministry of Agriculture (DA) recommended Give President Ferdinand Marcos tip Suspend rice imports and increase tariffs to protect Local farmers are declining Rural door price.
According to the President’s Palace, this is to protect Philippine rice producers from the ongoing influx of lower-cost imported rice, which has been putting pressure in recent months.
It added that the move aims to strike a balance between supporting local farmers and maintaining stable food supply across the country.
Presidential communicationfDave M. Gomez, acting secretary of ice He traveled to India from August 4 to 8.
In June, small farming secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel told the House that he recommended that the tariff committee increase the import tariffs from rice in phases to the initial 35% of the current 15%.
He also recommended that tariff adjustments be consistent with harvest periods for major Philippine suppliers (in late September in Vietnam and December) to mitigate any adverse effects on local markets.
Mr. Marcos signed Executive Order No. 62 (EO) in June 2024, which cuts import tariffs from 35% to 2028 to curb rice prices. Tariffs need to be reviewed every four months.
Former Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Fermin D. Adriano (Fermin D.
Last year, the Philippines imported 4.7 million tons and is expected to import more this year.
“The USDA predicts that we will import higher volumes this year,” Adriano said in Viber Chat. “How will DA fill the huge supply gap given the inability to reach huge productivity levels in the year?”
Mr Adriano proposed a seasonal tariff system – lowering tariffs during off-peak periods and increasing tariffs during local harvests to protect small farmers.
Jayson H. Cainglet, executive director of Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura, said that as Congress is currently meeting, Mr. Marcos should request “to implement legislation that will restore the import tariffs of rice to its original levels”.
“If discussed with the president, the president may be able to ask Congress to act quickly to restore the rice tariffs,” he said.
The president can only pass EO to raise tariffs when Congress adjourns.
Mr. Cainglet said waiting until Congress recession in October was “not an option.”
“Farmers now have a second idea about planting. Those who have already grown are worried because the price of rice is only between P8 and P12, which is during the off-peak harvest. So when the peak harvest reaches its peak in October or November, what about?”
Meanwhile, the Free Farmers Federation (FFF) Raul Q. Montemayor said that adjusting the tariffs on rice through EO will have to undergo a long consultation and deliberation process.
The FFF recommends levying tariff adjustments by invoking the Republic Act 8800 or the Safeguards Act, which authorizes the Minister of Agriculture to impose temporary duties in the current tariffs to damage or threaten the surge in imports of local farmers.
Mr Montemayor said the interim responsibility could be set to the level of temporarily blocking imports and applied to imports from the Association of Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN) and non-ASEAN countries.
Mr Montemayor quoted the live report as saying that the price of freshly harvested Palais fell 31% from the price a year ago to as low as P8 per kilogram, causing an estimated drop in farmers’ income by $54.5 billion in the first six months of the year.
He attributed this sharp decline to “uncontrolled imports of cheap imports.”
He added that the active launch of the subsidy P20 per kilogram of rice plans has exacerbated the oversupply.
Mr Montemayor noted that while the President offered an option for a temporary ban on rice imports under the revised Rice TariffLaw, which may be marked as a violation of World Trade Organization rules, prohibits the re-imposition of quantitative import restrictions.
Submit a resolution
Meanwhile, two senators proposed a joint resolution on Monday to remove the president’s tariff rate on imported rice and reduce the tariff to 35%.
Joint Senate Resolution 2 calls on Congress to “stop the president’s mandate powers to adjust the tariff rate on rice and reduce the tariffs to previous levels.”
Palace Press official Clarissa A. Castro did not immediately respond to Viber information seeking comments.
The resolution was signed by Senator Anna Theresia Hunterfros Baraquel and Senator Francis “kiko” n. pangilinan.
The President of the Philippines has the right to increase, reduce, modify or adjust the existing import tax rate for rice to rice in accordance with the Constitution and Republic Act No. 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
“The plight of Filipino farmers is urgent, requiring decisive legislative action to ensure they receive a fair return on agricultural products and to ensure the country’s food future by prioritizing domestic production over unchecked imports,” the resolution said.
The resolution also calls on the government to restore tariffs on rice to 35% of In-On-Quota and Out-Quota.
The resolution also proposes that committees in both chambers hold pre-elections to review the current status of the rice industry. This includes market prices, production costs, import volumes, and benefits of local producers.
The chair of each committee will then propose policies that will establish appropriate and responsive tariffs and rice import levels “this effectively protects domestic producers, ensures national food security, and promotes long-term viability of the local rice industry.” – With from Adrian H. Halili and Kyle Aristopher T. Atienza
