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MANILA – A lawmaker from Manila on Tuesday expressed his strong support for President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s Executive Order No. 93, which suspends the importation of regular milled and well-milled rice effective Sept. 1.

In a statement, Manila 1st District Rep. Ernesto Dionisio Jr. noted the negative effects resulting from oversupply of imported rice, which have diminished opportunities for local producers and leads to economic hardships in rural communities.

“Napakababa po ng presyo ng palay. Nalulugi po ang mga magsasaka (The price of palay is very low. Farmers are losing). We need to take decisive action now. The influx of imported rice has flooded the market, leaving our hardworking farmers with fewer buyers and lower prices for their harvest,” Dionisio said.

“I am hopeful that through Executive Order 93, we can finally prioritize our local farmers and bolster their livelihoods," he added.

Dionisio, vice chair of the House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means, issued the statement after Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. revealed that the order has no specified end date and outlined plans to extend the import ban until the end of 2025, alongside studies for higher tariffs on rice imports.

The lawmaker said he is hoping that the discussion about the suspension of the rice importation would lead to the amendment of the Rice Tariffication Law (Republic Act No. 11203) that will best protect and serve farmers.

"There is a pressing necessity to revise our policies, beginning with the Rice Tariffication Law, to ensure that our agricultural sector thrives and our farmers are not sidelined by the overwhelming volume of imports," he said.

Dionisio believed that farmers should get more benefits even as Filipinos enjoy lower prices of rice in the market.

“Ito po ay ating pag-aaralan at tutukan sa kumite. Dapat mas makinabang ang ating sariling mga magsasaka (We will study and focus on this in the committee. Our farmers should benefit more),” he said. (PNA)

Source : pna