Whilst President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. is on a visit to India, he has ordered a 60-day suspension of all rice importation starting September 1, according to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).
This was announced by PCO secretary Dave Gomez who clarified that the President issued the directive in order to protect local farmers reeling from low prices for unmilled rice or palay.
The chief executive had met with members of his Cabinet, among them secretaries secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. of agriculture and Ralph Recto of finance, on the sudelines of his five-day state visit in India.
“The president issued the directive after consulting with Cabinet members and upon the recommendation of (. . .) Secretary Tiu Laurel,” Gomez disclosed.
The PCO chief explained that the temporary stoppage on rice importation is meant to help stabilize local palay prices and ensure farmers are not undercut by the influx of cheaper imported rice.
When asked about potential adjustment on tariffs, Marcos Jr. stated that he believes it is “not yet time” to discuss possible increases in tariffs on imported rice.
“We will still see if we need to resort to that. Right now, the decision is to suspend all rice importation for 60 days (. . .). That’s the order of our president to help farmers,” he said in English and Filipino.
Officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA) welcomed the President’s decision to suspend rice imports, saying the move is a “welcome reprieve” for local palay farmers, especially with the approaching harvest season that would peak in September to October.
Under Republic Act 12078, or the amended Rice Tariffication Law implemented last December, the president may suspend importation when there is an excessive supply in the market. This could go on for a specified period or volume until rice supply and rice prices stabilize.
Meanwhile, Senator Francis ‘Kiko’ Pangilinan urged immediate aid for farmers now forced to sell palay at only ₱5 to ₱9 per kilogram.
The senator likewise called for the full implementation of the Sagip Saka Law and use of food funds in the 2025 budget to buy rice directly from farmers.
House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez expressed support for the move to suspend rice importation for 60 days.
Romualdez noted that the decision was “more than just a policy shift (and) is (actually) about standing up for Filipino farmers.”
“This is about telling the world that we will not allow those who feed us to be left behind. (It’s) very timely and we are grateful for the immediate response of our president to the department’s recommendation for a temporary halt in the importation [of rice] so our farmers can recoup,” he said in Pilipino.
For his part, Tiu Laurel described the President’s decision to temporarily suspend importation while holding off a tariff hike as a “measured response” to the challenges faced by local farmers.
“The suspension is a more calibrated action—one that we can quickly reverse if needed. It gives us the flexibility to act fast to protect both our farmers and our consumers,” he pointed out.
In ending, the agriculture chief added that a premature tariff hike could backfire and would take much longer to undo.
“We are walking a tightrope here. The stakes are high for both our farmers and the Filipino people, so it’s crucial that we strike the right balance,” he concluded.
