The Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) and the MAGSASAKA Party List (MAGSASAKA) urged the Tariff Commission (TC) to expedite its investigation on their petition for safeguard remedies on rice imports in accordance with the Safeguard Measures Act (Republic Act No. 8800).
Their call follows months after the original application was filed by FFF National Manager Raul Montemayor and MAGSASAKA Chairman Argel Joseph Cabatbat on September 29, 2025.
In a join statement, the farmers groups lamented the long process by which their petition was acted upon than what was prescribed under the law. Under RA 8800, they said, the TC can recommend the imposition of additional safeguard duties, volume restrictions, or a temporary ban, on rice imports if it confirms that a surge in rice imports has seriously harmed, or threatens to seriously injure, the country’s rice farmers.
The FFF has sought to stop the steep decline in farmgate rice prices in the last quarter of 2025 following an unprecedented surge in imports, which reached almost 4.8 million tons in 2024 and spilled over to 2025. Under RA 8800, Montemayor pointed out, the DA Secretary can temporarily impose safeguard duties to address emergency situations, even while the TC is undertaking its own investigation.
The DA Secretary can also ask the TC to complete its work within 60 days, instead of the regular 120 days, if it is deemed necessary. Montemayor has strongly urged Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel, Jr. to exercise this power because of the flooding of the rice market with imports in 2025.
Meanwhile, Cabatbat belied insinuations that the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), which liberalized the rice market in 2019, was responsible for the import surge in 2024-25. He noted that it was the government’s decision to reduce the rice tariff to 15 percent and maintain it at that level despite the continued drop in import prices, which led to the import surge.
Moreover, Cabatbat added, the ban on imports during the last quarter of 2025 did little to prop up palay prices which, ironically, recovered only after the ban was lifted in January 2026 when farmers had already harvested and sold their palay to traders.
“Lately, the DA has been pushing for amendments to the RTL, purportedly to prevent a recurrence of import surges. Yet, existing laws such as RA 8800 already provide the government with enough powers and options to prevent over-importation. Unfortunately, the current administration has failed to use them,” said Montemayor.
