Senator Nancy Binay on Thursday, February 9 said she sees nothing wrong with pushing for the ratification on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) but stressed the need to thoroughly scrutinize the trade agreement to allay the fears of the stakeholders that would be affected by the program.
“With regard RCEP, yung intention naman niyan (the intention) is to harmonize the trade agreements of Asean members with big trading partners like China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand—at malaking bagay 'yung mawala ang (and it’s a big deal if we remove any) barriers and restrictions on at least 90% of imported or exported products,” Binay said in a statement.
“Well, from an economic point of view, maraming market opportunities at benefits ang makukuha ng Pilipinas (the Philippines is bound to get many market opportunities and benefits). But we don't want rush things just yet,” she stressed.
Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri and Sen. Loren Legarda have earlier announced that that they would lead in the ratification of the RCEP and find ways to address the concerns of the farmers and agricultural groups who have expressed their concerns and opposition to the trade agreement.
Binay, however, said it is necessary to wait and hear the contentious issues being raised by other sectors who are skeptical of the Philippine’s participation in the RCEP.
“Hintayin muna natin pakinggan ang contentious issues sa ilang essential sectors, at kung kelan ito isasalang sa plenaryo para mahimay talaga ang mga katanungan, at mapaghandaan din ng mga ahensya at ibang sektor ang transition (Let's first wait to hear the contentious issues in some essential sectors, and when it will be discussed in plenary so that the questions can really be resolved, and agencies and other sectors can also prepare for the transition),” she said.
“Maipasa man ito on time o hindi, magtutuloy-tuloy pa rin naman ang RCEP, with or without the Philippines. Pero ang pinaka-importante (Whether it is passed on time or not, RCEP will continue, with or without the Philippines. But the most important thing), what we need to know is our readiness for RCEP, and if we have already prepared parallel programs for the labor sector, and subsidies in the agri and production sectors,” the senator added.
Sen. Grace Poe, likewise, echoed Binay’s sentiment saying it’s inevitable for local farmers to doubt and be concerned about the RCEP.
“Alam mo syempre ang ating mga magsasaka ay nagdadalawang-isip dyan at kabado. Dahil paano nga pala sila makakapagkumpetensiya kung hindi sila tinutulungan ng Department of Agriculture (You know, of course, our farmers are having second thoughts there and are worried. Because how can they compete if the DA does not help them),” Poe said in an interview.
“Pero kung iisipin mo kasi ang benepisyo ng RCEP, makakapag-import tayo nang walang taripa sa ibang bansa so kukuha rin sila sa atin. Kung may taripa ang ating ieexport natural hindi sila kukuha sa atin, kukuha sila sa ibang bansa. (But if you think about the benefits of RCEP, we can import without tariffs to other countries so they will also buy from us. If there is a tariff on our exports, naturally they will not buy from us, they will buy from other countries),” the senator said.
“At saka tayo na lang yata sa ASEAN ang hindi pa sumasali dyan (and then we are the only ones in ASEAN who have not yet joined it),” she noted.
Poe said the government, through the DA, should be putting in place mechanisms to ensure that local farmers would be able to compete fairly with foreign businesses once the Philippines has signed the RCEP.
At most, the DA should be providing local farmers with cold storage facilities so they can preserve their harvest much longer.
“Yan ang dapat na pagtuunan ng pansin ng DA at hindi tayo papayag sa RCEP na yan hangga't walang programa ang DA kung ano ang gagawin nila in the next 10 or 20 years dahil ang RCEP naman may pagitan din yan, hindi naman agad-agad implementado yan (That is what the DA should focus on and we will not agree to that RCEP until the DA has a program of what they will do in the next 10 or 20 years because the RCEP also has a gap, not immediately- it was immediately implemented),” Poe stressed.