Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. sought the support of the members of House of Represenatives’ Committee on Agriculture, chaired by Quezon Rep. Wilfrido Mark Enverga, to support proposed amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law—calling the RTL a well-meaning policy whose certain provisions had failed to protect Filipino rice farmers.
In his presentation to congressmen, Tiu Laurel said the RTL, by fully liberalizing rice imports, had “stripped the National Food Authority (NFA) of the ability to regulate supply, stabilize prices, or intervene in times of crisis,” leaving rice farmers at the mercy of market forces.
“Rice is more than just a staple,” he said. “It fuels our workforce, sustains our families, and symbolizes food security for over 112 million Filipinos.”
Tiu Laurel warned that cheap, high-quality imported rice has driven farmgate palay prices down to unsustainable levels—as low as P8 per kilo last month, far below production costs by even the most efficient local rice farmer.
Meanwhile, the DA chief said, some traders falsely blamed the government’s P20 rice program for the price drop, a claim he dismissed as “absurd and simply untrue.”
Citing NFA data on rice traders’ buying price, he noted that palay prices started to recover after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced a temporary suspension of rice imports, set to take effect on September 1. That rebound occurred despite the continued rollout of the P20 program, Tiu Laurel said, proving that market control—not subsidies—is key.
“The real issue lies in the RTL itself,” he said. “As currently written, it does not reform the rice industry—it threatens to kill it.”
He called for smarter regulation, data-driven decision-making, and a stronger role for the NFA, which he said has the experience and logistics capacity to balance market forces with public interest.
“We must regain control,” said Secretary Tiu Laurel of the rice industry. “It is an industry that is imbued with too much public interest to leave to the private sector.”
Tiu Laurel also expressed support for House Bill No. 1, led by Speaker Martin Romualdez, to amend the RTL and restore the government’s ability to intervene when necessary.
“Let us give our rice farmers a fair chance,” he concluded. “Let’s build a truly masaganang bagong Pilipinas.”
