REPEAL LIBERATION LAW
The avalanche of imported rice products has a profound effect in our country.
In the Philippines where rice became a crucial part of our diet, most Filipinos tend to clamor whenever there
is a high price increase on this main crop due to low supply.
This issue regarding rice shortage resulted to the implementation of Rice Tariffication Law
(RA) 11203, signed on February 14,2019 by President Rodrigo Duterte which removed the quantitative
restrictions on the process of importing rice products but will impose 35 percent tariffs on products coming
from Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) while 50 percent on the part of non-ASEAN member.
It is somehow miserable how we ended up importing rice products when we should be the one exporting it for
our country has a large arable lands and millions of farmers and their families absolutely depend on this
livelihood.
According to Senator Cynthia Villar, who sponsored the Rice Tariffication Law, it acts as a final requirement,
a sign of our commitment to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and significantly encourage the local rice
farmers to be competitive for the 35-50 percent tariffs imposed on imported products will be allocated for
them on Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).
However, the said tariffs are ridiculously low compared to other country like Japan who imposed 800 percent
tariffs on imported rice products that is why the rice they used in making sushi, a Japanese cold cooked rice
are 100 percent local according to recent studies ,consequently , as imported rice products continue to flood
on public market, prices of palay also decrease provoking the Food Security Groups and Farmers’ to
expressed their sentiments in repealing the Rice Tariffication Law to protect their livelihoods which was
exceedingly affected.
Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) exposed a data that the current farm gate price is extremely low, for
fresh play sells between P7 and P10 per kilogram. In Cagayan Valley, has a P12.31 per kilogram while the
Largest Plain in the Philippines,Central Luzon costs P10.60 per kilogram.
With this kind of prices that the farmers are currently facing and the hurdles in producing rice such as climate
change and expensive farming materials, what will be then, their return on investment?
Moreover, the implementation of Rice Tariffication Law only draws the farmers to sell their arable lands to
private sectors who will then convert it into commercial buildings since unlimited entry of imported rice will
only lead to bankruptcy and succumb of rice industries lamented by Trinidad Domingo, member of Katipunan
ng Bagong Pilipina (KBP) and a co-convenor of National Movement for Food Sovereignty(NMFS).We can
no longer deny the fact that we need shelter but we should not opt rice farms be converted in a housing
subdivisions for we could no longer undo it once these buildings are structured, thus , arable lands will
continue to lessen.
On the other hand, whereas, Rice Tariffication Law may turn out as a bane for over 2 million Filipino rice
farmers, for over 100 million Filipino rice consumers it is becoming a boon as inflation dropped 1.7 percent in
August 2019 reported by the Philippine Statistics Authority, primarily because of unrestricted supply of rice
products.
The Government, particularly the principal author of this law should stand up and look beyond the real
situation of our local rice farmers who spent a long period of time and energy planting palay under the
scorching heat of the sun could not even eat adequately and improved their status in life due to the low costs
of their products.
In this manner, they should amend or repeal the Rice Tariffication Law for it only provides a temporary
solution on our long-term problem regarding rice shortage, hence, they should ascertain the sentiments of our
local rice farmers to fully grasp the underlying cause of this problem and significantly to provide a certain
solution.