Quezon 2nd district Rep. David "Jay-jay" Suarez (Dexter Barro II/MANILA BULLETIN)

A much welcome development.

Deputy Speaker and Quezon 2nd district Rep. David "Jay-jay" Suarez had this to say as he commended President Marcos for his intention to certify the proposed amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) as urgent in the effort to bring down rice prices.

“Ramdam po natin na isa sa mga pangunahing hamon na hinaharap ng ating mga kababayan, ay yung patuloy na pagtaas ng presyo ng bilihin,” Suarez said in a press briefing on Monday, May 6.

(We sense that one of the main challenges facing our countrymen is the constant increase in the prices of goods.)

“And amending the Rice Tariffication Law is one sure step that we can have more competitive prices for Filipinos,” he added.

During an interview with reporters on Monday, Marcos announced his support for moves to amend the law, particularly in giving the government control retail prices of rice, the country’s staple food.

The House of Representatives has already started to deliberate over the proposed amendments to the RTL.

The Committee on Agriculture and Food, chaired by Quezon 1st district Rep. Wilfrido Mark Enverga, launched its committee hearings last week. The panel stressed the need for amendments to address the RTL’s faults in addressing the challenges that face rice farmers and the agricultural sector.

“This is in line with the directives of Speaker Martin Romualdez, our leader here in Congress na i-amend ang RTL upang siguraduhin na mapababa po nating ang presyo ng bigas para sa mamamayang Pilipino (to amend the RTL to ensure that we lower the price of rice for the Filipino people),” said Suarez.

Amid talks of amending the law, farmers group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas is instead urging for a complete revocation.

For Suarez, a vice chairperson of the committee, said he respects the group’s position as part of the multilateral evaluation of the law’s effectiveness.

“Ito na po iyong pinakadahilan kung bakit tinatalakay ngayon ng Komite ng Agriculture iyong RTL dahil after so many years of implementation, we need to find out kung naging effective ba ito, kung ano po ba ang naging lapses nito, kung anong naging epekto nito sa sektor at kung ano po ba ang dapat gawin upang siguraduhin na mas makakabuti po ito sa bawat Pilipino,” he said.

(This is the main reason why the Committee on Agriculture is now discussing the RTL because after so many years of implementation, we need to find out if it has been effective, what have been its lapses, what impact has it had on the sector and what should be done to make sure that it will be better for every Filipino.)

The criticisms that the law has faced throughout the years urged the House Speaker to finally call for its amendments, according to Suarez.

“He’s seen that we need more safeguards, more regulation, more intervention
from government to make sure that we give more competitive prices, better prices para
sa bawat Pilipino (for every Filipino),” he pointed out, referring to Romualdez.

Suarez said RTL should ideally decrease rice prices by almost P15.

With this, the Quezon lawmaker expects his colleagues in the Senate to do its part by also amending the RTL ahead of sine die break.

“I’m sure the Senate will take cue and take action on that. So antayin na lang po natin kung ano po ang magiging tugon ng Senado (So let's just wait to see what the Senate's response will be). But I’m very positive that the Senate will take action given the urgency of the matter,” noted Suarez.

Congress will have its sine die adjournment starting May 25 and until July 21.