Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel Jr. urged lawmakers to support amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), saying the current law fails to safeguard local farmers and leaves the rice industry vulnerable to market fluctuations.
In a presentation before the House Committee on Agriculture and Food, Tiu-Laurel described the RTL as a “well-meaning policy” with unintended consequences, particularly harming Filipino rice farmers.
“Rice is more than just a staple. It fuels our workforce, sustains our families, and symbolizes food security for over 112 million Filipinos,” he said.
Tiu-Laurel noted that the law’s full liberalization of rice imports stripped the National Food Authority (NFA) of its ability to regulate supply, stabilize prices, and intervene during crises, leaving farmers at the mercy of market forces.
Last month, palay prices reportedly dropped to PHP8 per kilo, far below production costs. Tiu-Laurel dismissed claims that the government’s PHP20 rice program caused the price decline as “absurd and simply untrue,” citing NFA data showing price rebounds after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. announced a temporary rice import suspension effective Sept. 1.
“That rebound happened even as the PHP20 program continued. This proves that market control, not subsidies, is the decisive factor,” he said.
He called the RTL itself the core problem, saying, “The real issue lies in the RTL. As currently written, it does not reform the rice industry — it threatens to kill it.”
Tiu-Laurel emphasized that the NFA is best positioned to balance public interest with market dynamics and called for policy reforms to restore its regulatory role.
“We must regain control of the rice industry. This is an industry too critical to be left entirely to the private sector,” he added, expressing support for House Bill 1, which seeks to revise the RTL and strengthen the government’s authority during price or supply disruptions.