The Department of Agriculture (DA) is moving swiftly to consolidate nationwide consultations on the comprehensive revision of the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), confident that the reforms will help curb persistently high rice prices while restoring fairness to struggling Filipino farmers.
The series of regional consultative meetings, set to conclude next week, will shape the final draft of the administration’s proposed amendments before its submission to Congress. The initiative follows the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to uplift farmers’ livelihoods and secure affordable, high-quality rice for every household.
Momentum for reform accelerated after the 2025 Quinta Hearings in the House of Representatives, where lawmakers and stakeholders agreed that the 2024 amendments to the RTL—now Republic Act 12078–had not gone far enough. The law’s revision is among the 44 priority measures endorsed by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC), which aligns key legislation between Congress and the Executive branch.
At the heart of the ongoing debate are three urgent concerns: the erosion of farm incomes due to cheap imports, the failure of retail prices to reflect import cost reductions, and the nation’s growing dependence on volatile global grain markets.
“We cannot allow our farmers to be the casualties of market inefficiencies and unchecked speculation,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said. “Our goal is a rice industry that rewards productivity, ensures stability, and protects both producers and consumers.”
The forthcoming administration bill—expected to serve as the foundation for measures such as the proposed Rice Industry and Consumer Empowerment (RICE) Act—seeks to restore calibrated state intervention through the National Food Authority (NFA). The agency would regain limited authority to manage buffer stocks, regulate imports, and stabilize prices without reversing trade liberalization.
A central feature of the DA’s draft is the establishment of the Philippine Rice Industry Development Program (PRIDP), which consolidates existing rice funds and mandates an annual allocation of P30 billion from tariff revenues to finance productivity and resilience programs. The bill also authorizes a flexible floor price for palay to guarantee fair returns for farmers, alongside an affordability benchmark and a targeted rice subsidy for low-income consumers.
The final consultation meetings will be held in Cagayan de Oro city on October 27 and in Quezon City on October 28, following earlier sessions in Iloilo. The DA plans to submit the refined draft to Congress and the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office before sessions resume on November 10, with lawmakers aiming to pass substitute bills in both chambers by the end of 2025.
“This is not just about rice prices—it’s about restoring balance and dignity in our nation’s food system,” said Secretary Tiu Laurel.
