House OKs revised agricultural tariffication bill on final reading
The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved on its third and final reading the revised agricultural tariffication bill seeking to replace quantitative restrictions (QRs) on imported rice with tariffs or taxes.
With 200 House members voting in the affirmative, seven in the negative and two abstaining, the lower House approved on final reading House Bill 7735.
It was approved on second reading last Aug. 7.
READ: House approves revised agricultural tariffication bill on 2nd reading
The lower chamber has fast-tracked the proposed measure after President Rodrigo Duterte certified its passage as urgent during his third State of the Nation Address last July 23.
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol also backed the bill, saying it would stabilize rice prices and would make farmers “very competitive” if the tariff would be invested in local farms.
READ: DA: Rice tariff to help farmers
But according to Anakpawis Rep. Ariel Casilao, who voted against the bill, it “totally abandons our rice farmers, in favor of rice importation, in favor rice traders and hoarders at home and in favor of rice farmers of Vietnam and Thailand.”
“And with this abandonment, our country will totally lose its food security,” he added.
ACT-Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio meanwhile said over 15 million Filipinos would suffer from this proposed measure as this would open floodgates to imported rice.
“Sa kabuuan, mahigit 15 million na kababayan natin ang masasalanta ang kanilang kabuhayan dahil sa pagpasa ng panukalang batas na ito na magbubukas sa import ng bigas. Wala na pong anumang limitasyon sa volume, sa dami ng bigas na maaaring ma-import kung sakaling matuloy ang pagsasabatas na ito,” he said.
Aside from lifting the QRs on rice imports, the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) would be established under HB 7735. RCEF consist of all duties collected from the importation of rice under the Act.
During the period of amendments, Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman proposed that the RCEF should “automatically be appropriated and released periodically to the Department of Agriculture (DA) without going through the General Appropriations Act” to “guarantee that it will directly benefit our farmers.”
Rep. Jose Panganiban, Jr., sponsor of the bill, accepted the amendment. /je
