Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. on Wednesday urged Congress to amend the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), warning that the measure now poses a grave threat to the country’s rice sector.
Testifying before the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform led by Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, Tiu Laurel said the government lacks both the resources and the legal authority to push forward meaningful reforms in agriculture.
“It is high time that the government revisit, amend, and, where necessary, replace laws that no longer serve farmers and consumers alike,” he declared.
The Agriculture chief admitted that while the RTL was introduced with good intentions, it ended up weakening government agencies tasked to safeguard the nation’s food security.
“Foremost among these is the [RTL]. Though crafted with noble goals, I have to admit, it has faltered. By fully liberalizing rice imports, it unintentionally undermined the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the National Food Authority (NFA)—stripping us of the ability to intervene and protect this most vital of commodities,” Tiu Laurel said.
“As currently written, the Rice Tariffication Law does not reform the rice industry—it threatens to kill it,” he added.
The RTL, or Republic Act No. 11203, was enacted in 2019 under former President Rodrigo Duterte and authored by former Senator Cynthia Villar. Instead of setting import quotas, the law opened the floodgates for rice imports—allowing unlimited entry at a 35% tariff for ASEAN shipments and 40% for non-ASEAN countries.