Despite a strong campaign being mounted by the government and private business organizations, the Senate was still unable in its second attempt to concur with the ratification of mega trade deal Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). Given also the strong opposition from the agriculture sector, it was a wise move for the Senate to defer to the incoming administration the RCEP ratification. In the first place, President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has already said he would like to review the trade treaty. RCEP is a trade agreement among the Philippines and other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) plus China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. These are agriculture producing countries with well established competitiveness. The mega trade deal is the latest among the many Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) that the Philippines will be participating in in the future. The country has also participated in other free trade deals. We started with the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), established in 1992, for all the 10 ASEAN member countries. Then the World Trade Organization (WTO), the forerunner of liberalized global trading regime, began on Jan. 1, 1995. On a bilateral basis, the Philippines completed two FTAs with Japan and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Forthcoming is the one with South Korea. What has happened since these FTAs were forged? When the Philippines ratified WTO and AFTA, we were the early birds. We drastically reduced our tariff rates much ahead of other countries. When our first bilateral FTA with Japan was forged, we were so eager that we gave up most of our tariff protection, even if we did not get what we wanted from Japan. Our tropical fruits are still restricted entry. We got some Japanese investments, but they were a pittance compared with what Japan poured in other ASEAN countries. Of course, the government trumpeted the supposed gains and will be benefiting from these trade deals and we are not giving out concessions for agricultural products. For RCEP, the Department of Trade and Industry sounded like a broken record, “This is a must. We cannot be left behind.” Indeed, trade has expanded. However, the Philippines trade deficit further widened. Our growth in exports could hardly make a dent on the growth of our imports. With zero tariff on most products, the market has been inundated with cheap imports. It has discouraged domestic manufacturing expansion as domestic industries can no longer compete with the more efficient manufacturing regimes of other countries. The Philippines has become import dependent more than ever. On one hand, restricting imports like the imposition of high tariff walls, such as rice, did not really deter importation or bring down prices of rice. This means that either way, imports will really come whether you are part of a free trade bloc or not. Imports will come in if your domestic industry is uncompetitive and unprotected. As such, to make our FTA participation effective and meaningful, the government must establish strong support for local agricultural production to make this sector competitive. Government agencies like the DTI and the Department of Agriculture must present concrete plans as to how domestic agriculture products can compete in RCEP because we cannot just open our markets to imports without the necessary safety nets for our own industries.