Albay 3rd district Rep. Raymond Adrian Salceda, chairman of the House Special Committee on Food Security, is supporting President Marcos' decision to suspend rice importation beginning Sept. 1, saying it is only right to protect local farmers.

But the government’s moves shouldn't stop there, added Salceda.

He said the country must also employ a "long-term solution", such as strengthening the National Food Authority (NFA)'s buffer stocking function and mandating the use of modern storage facilities to preserve rice quality.

"That is why I filed House Bill (HB) No. 48," Salceda said. "Kung maghihigpit tayo sa importasyon, kailangang may tiwala tayong may sapat at sariwang suplay mula sa sariling ani (If we're strict in importation, we should be confident that we will have ample and fresh supply from our own harvest)."

Salceda says it is just right that local farmers must not have foreign competitors when it comes to producing the country's supplies, "so they can earn and continue farming".

"This is the season when our farmers try to recover their costs and earn enough to survive. We owe them this protection," he said.

But Salceda also said that in the long run, the country's rice sector should be strong enough to compete with or without circuit breakers.

"Wala pa po tayo dyan sa ngayon, pero may mga probinsya na kaya na. Gayahin po natin ang best practices nila (We are not yet there. But there are already provinces that can do that. Let's follow their best practices). Strong support for irrigation, certified seeds, mechanization, and farmer cooperatives has made the difference in those areas," he said.

"As chair of the House Special Committee on Food Security, I commit to shepherding policy reforms that give our farmers a fighting chance and our consumers a stable, affordable rice supply," added the Bicolano.