Rice tariffication law must be repealed, says lawmaker

(INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/EDWIN BACASMAS)

MANILA, Philippines — Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas has acknowledged that the administration opened a chance to discuss issues surrounding the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), but believes amending it is not enough.

Brosas, in a statement on Monday said President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. must certify as urgent a bill to repeal — not to amend — Republic Act No. 11203 or the RTL because it has negatively impacted farmers.

“While acknowledging the opportunity to shed light on the detrimental impacts of unrestricted rice importation, it is imperative to recognize that mere amendments to the Rice Tarrification Law fall short of addressing the root cause of the crisis. The relentless importation under this law has plunged farmers into deeper poverty, prioritizing foreign supplies over local production,” she said.

“President Marcos Jr. should prioritize the immediate repeal of the Rice Tarrification Law, and allocate sufficient agricultural production subsidies to farmers, particularly amidst the challenges posed by El Niño. It is imperative that the government takes decisive action to support local farmers and ensure the resilience of Philippine agriculture,” she added.

According to Brosas, the El Niño phenomenon, which has brought a dry spell to different areas has “exacerbated the situation” because RTL allowed the inflow of cheaper imported rice, which has decreased the sales of domestic grains.

“Over the past five years, the Rice Tarrification Law has inflicted severe damage on the Philippine agriculture system, perpetuating a cycle of dependency on imported rice and undermining the livelihoods of Filipino farmers,” she said.

 “The recent El Niño exacerbated the situation, causing agricultural losses amounting to approximately P5.9 billion.  Instead of providing adequate production subsidies, the administration exacerbated the situation by intensifying importation,” she added.

Earlier, Marcos said that he will certify as urgent bills that seek to amend the law, so that the National Food Authority (NFA) would be once again allowed to sell cheap rice to the public.

The House of Representatives’ committee on agriculture and food has been discussing different bills seeking to amend the RTL — including House Bill (HB) No. 404 from Brosas and her colleagues in the Makabayan bloc.

“There is an urgent need to repeal the Rice Tarrification Law as reflected in Makabayan bloc’s House Bill 404. It is imperative that House Bill 404 be swiftly passed to safeguard the interests of Filipino farmers and secure the future of our agricultural sector,” Brosas noted.

But Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and key House officials maintained that they are not seeking a total repeal of the law, focusing instead on amendments that would just allow NFA to sell rice directly to consumers again.