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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Senate open to passing RTL amendments bill, says Romualdez after meeting with Escudero 

Senate open to passing RTL amendments bill, says Romualdez after meeting with Escudero 

Published Jun 13, 2024 07:44 am

At A Glance

  • The Senate is open to passing the House-approved bill that seeks to amend the five-year-old Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), according to House Speaker Martin Romualdez. 

IMG-7819fbe4841c9e7e7aded441624b9e2d-V-01.jpeg(Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)



The Senate is open to passing the House-approved bill that seeks to amend the five-year-old Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), according to House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

This was one of the main takeaways from the first formal meeting between Romualdez and his Senate counterpart, Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero, on Thursday, June 13. The meeting took place at Aguado residence in Malacañang.

Romualdez, in a statement Thursday afternoon, said the proposed amendments to Republic Act (RA) No.11203 was a "key focus of the meeting" and was "identified as a top priority".

It was last May 21 when the Romualdez-led House of Representatives approved House Bill (HB) No.10381, or the proposed Act seeking to amend the RTL, on third and final reading. The lower chamber has transmitted the measure to the Senate.

A key revision to RTL that's being pursued by House members is the restoration of the National Food Authority’s (NFA) power to directly sell relatively cheaper rice to the market. This will pave the way for the return of "NFA rice".

Escudero replaced Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri as Senate President on May 20. Two days later, Congress (House and Senate) adjourned sine die.

The solons won't reconvene in their respective chambers until July 22, the day of President Marcos' third State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Romualdez, Leyte's 1st district representative, said the amendments under HB No.10381 aim to provide quality affordable rice to Filipinos and increase the income of Filipino farmers.

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https://mb.com.ph/2024/6/13/look-the-kanin-at-keso-meeting

“Amending the [RTL] is a crucial step towards ensuring food security and economic stability for our farmers,” underscored the official, also known as "Mr. Rice".

“We are committed to making quality rice affordable for all Filipinos while boosting the livelihoods of our local farmers,” he added.

Beyond the RTL issue, Thursday's meeting also allowed the two leaders to review the progress of existing priority legislation and dentify next steps to ensure timely approvals.

“The focus remains on the 20 LEDAC (Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council) priority measures targeted for approval by June 2024, with significant advancements already made, including ten measures approved by both Houses, one enacted into law, and several others in various stages of the legislative process,” the House leader explained.

Related Tags

Rice Tariffication Law National Food Authority Martin Romualdez Francis Escudero
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