MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has issued Executive Order (EO) No. 102, which officially extends the suspension of the importation of regular and well-milled rice until Dec. 31.
Marcos signed the EO on Oct. 30, a copy of which was published in the Official Gazette only on Tuesday.
Issued upon the recommendation of the Department of Agriculture (DA), and following consultations with the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), EO 102 “seeks to protect local farmers from downward price pressures caused by imported rice, sustain market stability, and safeguard consumer welfare.”
The moratorium on rice importation will remain in effect until Dec. 31, unless lifted earlier or extended further upon the joint recommendation of the DA, DepDev, and DTI.
The importation ban does not apply to specialty rice varieties not commonly produced by local farmers, including Japanese, black, and basmati rice.
Under the EO, the DA, DEPDev, and DTI are ordered to convene within 30 days upon effectivity of the order to assess the impact of the suspension on domestic rice supply and prices.
The agencies are also tasked to submit a joint recommendation to the President, through the Executive Secretary, within 15 days after their assessment.
President Marcos initially suspended importation of regular and well-milled rice for two months from Sept. 1 to Oct. 31 through EO 93 to counter the sharp decline in palay prices ahead of the wet harvest season.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. earlier said that the extension was necessary as the initial two-month importation ban had “little impact on retail prices and rice supply, but a significant effect in raising the farmgate prices of palay.”
According to the DA, palay prices in major producing provinces such as Isabela and Nueva Ecija had climbed to P13 to P14 per kilo, from as low as P8 in some areas before the import freeze.
Despite these increases, farmgate prices were still below the P17 per kilo of floor price for wet palay the DA is eyeing, following President Marcos’ EO 100, which authorized the agency to determine the palay floor price for government procurement.
These were also much lower than the demand of farmers’ groups calling for a P20 per kilo floor price for palay.
According to Tiu Laurel, the extension of the import ban would allow a fuller evaluation of the policy’s impact on both farmgate and retail markets and continue shielding local farmers from downward price pressures caused by cheaper imports
Another extension next year?
In a House of Representatives joint committee on agriculture and food as well as ways and means’ public hearing hearing in October, Tiu Laurel said that he would recommend President Marcos to lift the ban on rice importation in January 2026, but would reimpose it again from February to April next year, which coincides with the dry harvest season.
He explained that a one-month period for allowing rice imports next year would ensure that the government had enough imported buffer stocks which would be used up by the end of November 2025.
According to DA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa, this proposal was not yet final and still being studied by the agency.
“It’s still possible [that the rice importation ban may be extended beyond January] if the harvest remains good. And to protect the farmgate prices, it might also be considered,” he said in a briefing in Malacañang on Tuesday.
“But for now, what’s important is that we have a stable supply and price,” he added.
Tariff hike
President Marcos also has yet to decide on the proposal of farmers’ groups to gradually increase the tariff on imported rice from the current 15 percent to 35 percent.
“The DA supports the increase in tariffs but, of course, there should be a careful balance between the interest of our farmers and the rights of our consumers,’ De Mesa said.
In June 2024, President Marcos signed Executive Order No. 62, which slashed rice tariffs from 35 percent to 15 percent until 2028 to help tame rice retail prices and slow food inflation. The current rate, however, is subject to a periodic review every four months. /mr
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