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A lawmaker is pushing for the urgent amendment of Republic Act (RA) 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law, citing its adverse effects on Filipino farmers and its failure to bring down rice prices for consumers.

Las Piñas Rep. Mark Anthony Santos, in a statement, warned that the law–which removed quantitative restrictions on rice imports and replaced them with tariffs–has opened the floodgates to cheap imported rice, displacing local produce and driving down farmgate prices to the detriment of millions of Filipino rice farmers.

“The promised benefits of the Rice Tariffication Law never materialized. Rice prices remain high, and our farmers are suffering more than ever,” Santos said.

He called for the restoration of the National Food Authority’s (NFA) original mandate to procure palay directly from local farmers and maintain buffer stocks, saying this would help stabilize market prices and secure the country’s food supply.

Passed in 2019, the Rice Tariffication Law was intended to liberalize rice importation while generating funding for the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF). However, Santos argued that support under the RCEF–including training, farm inputs, and equipment–has been inadequate, delayed, and poorly implemented.

He also called for a full audit of the RCEF, demanding accountability for the law’s shortcomings.

“We need to amend the law to prioritize local production and food security. The current system is failing. We need a law that truly protects both farmers and consumers,” he added.

Santos warned that the Philippines’ overreliance on imported rice, especially from Vietnam and Thailand, makes the country vulnerable to external shocks such as global supply disruptions and shifting trade policies.

He urged members of the 20th Congress to take swift action in reviewing and reforming the law, saying continued inaction would only deepen the economic burden on both farmers and ordinary Filipinos.

The first-term legislator, meanwhile, also expressed support for Sen. Erwin Tulfo’s call for an immediate legislative review–or even a repeal–of the Rice Tariffication Law.

He, likewise, backed proposals to revive the NFA’s procurement and distribution powers and expand government-run “Kadiwa” outlets to bring down rice prices and ensure market stability.

Source : businessmirror