Sen. Francisco “Kiko” Pangilinan, who is also chairman of the Senate committee on agriculture, said fixing the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) and strengthening of farm cooperatives are his priority agenda.
During a briefing on August 11, 2025, conducted by Agriculture Secretary Francisco “Kiko” Tiu Laurel to apprise the Senator the risks facing the country’s rice sector until the RTL is revised. The Marcos administration has proposed to amend the law to modernize and future-proof the P385-billion local rice industry.
Pangilinan said Secretary Tiu Laurel’s vision for agriculture aligns with his own goal of a food-secure Philippines and a more prosperous farm, fishery, and livestock sector.
“We don’t only share the same name—we also share the same vision for Philippine agriculture. We have the same priority, especially on the revision of the Rice Tariffication Law,” Pangilinan said.
“We need to fix a lot of things in the current RTL, as well as improve the provision of direct support and extension services for farmers and fisherfolk, down to the grassroots level,” he added.
To improve farm productivity, the Senator has emphasized the importance of strengthening farm cooperatives.
During the same briefing, Secretary Tiu Laurel and Senator Pangilinan also discussed the Sagip Saka program—an initiative authored by the senator that aims to achieve sustainable modern agriculture and food security by helping farmers and fisherfolk reach their full potential, increase their incomes, and bridge gaps vis public-private partnerships.
Pangilinan also underscored that Congress should act quick given the limited time of the Marcos administration to implement the reforms to ensure a better future for stakeholders in the agriculture sector.
In his briefing, the DA Secretary cited the growing threat of cheaper and higher-quality imports, shifting consumer preferences, unregulated importation, reduced milling and drying capacity as a result of a redefinition of the role of the National Food Authority, and the DA’s limited powers—alongside the NFA—to stabilize markets, manage buffer stocks, and set a floor price for palay.
The presentation to Senator Pangilinan followed a similar meeting with Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga, chair of the House Committee on Agriculture. Enverga’s insights helped strengthen the DA’s position in recommending a temporary halt to rice importation—a proposal that led to Malacañang’s announcement of a two-month rice import freeze starting September 1.
“Our fighting target is to get these proposed amendments to the RTL enacted into law before the start of the harvest season, which begins March next year. If we could convince President Marcos to certify a bill that includes all these amendments as urgent, then we should get this passed sooner,” said Secretary Tiu Laurel.
“And with this visit of Senator Pangilinan, we are confident we could secure the backing of the Senate for these amendments that could ensure the modernization of the rice industry and the overall agriculture sector, securing a better future for our hardworking farmers and fisherfolk,” he added.
At the House of Representatives, no less than Speaker Martin Romualdez has filed House Bill No. 1—the so-called RICE Act—that essentially encapsulates the revisions sought by the DA.
