Senator Kiko Pangilinan has formally filed a resolution urging his fellow lawmakers to revisit and amend the country’s Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), amid rising food prices and calls for stronger local agricultural support.
In his resolution, Pangilinan called on Congress to re-examine the regulatory and market intervention powers of the National Food Authority (NFA), which were removed when RTL was enacted in 2019 under former President Rodrigo Duterte.
The law was reaffirmed last year by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Pangilinan stressed the importance of giving the government enough authority to ensure rice remains accessible and affordable to every Filipino household.
“Dapat may sapat na kapangyarihan ang gobyerno para tiyakin na may bigas sa hapag ng bawat Pilipino,” Pangilinan said, emphasizing his long-time advocacy for a stronger and more resilient agricultural sector.
The senator also highlighted the need to boost domestic agricultural production as a key strategy to stabilize and lower the cost of basic commodities, especially rice.