President Marcos has ordered a 60-day suspension of all rice importation starting Sept. 1 to shield local farmers from falling palay prices during the ongoing harvest season, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) announced. The President announced the move after consultations with key...
Senator Raffy Tulfo has called for the review of the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) as he expressed alarm that the future of the rice farming industry is in danger because of existing policies. In his privileged speech, Tulfo said that while RTL had good intentions and ideas, it failed to fulfill...
Two senators on Monday, August 4 filed a joint Senate resolution seeking to withdraw or terminate the President’s power to increase, reduce, revise or adjust existing rates of import duty on rice. Senators Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan and Risa Hontiveros filed Joint Senate Resolution No. 2...
Malacañang disclosed that the Department of Agriculture (DA) has recommended to increase tariffs on imported rice and to temporarily halt rice importation. Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Dave Gomez said this on Monday, Aug. 4, saying it aims to protect Filipino farmers. He...
With rice prices still seen to have dropped further recently, the central bank has forecast that increases in consumer prices likely slowed even more in July, following the five-and-a-half-year lows of 1.4 percent in June and 1.3 percent in May. As such, private-sector economists said that the...
The Department of Agriculture (DA) will expand the government’s ₱20-per-kilo rice program to include farmers of the staple beginning next month, expanding access to cheaper rice for one of the country’s poorest sectors. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said the government will...
Despite an expected onslaught of typhoons in the third quarter, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) anticipates that consumer prices, particularly for rice, will continue to decline, but weather disturbances are expected to drive up vegetable costs. “Certain items, such as vegetables, are...
Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Thursday, July 24, called for urgent reforms in government procurement policies to allow farmers to sell rice directly to national agencies and local government units (LGUs). Pangilinan lamented that under the current system, traders are favored over...
The World Bank considers liberalized rice trade as a boost to the Philippine agriculture sector, even as the Marcos Jr. administration is moving to reinstate the National Food Authority’s (NFA) old regulatory powers. “Strategic shifts are underway to reinvigorate transformation of the...
The Department of Agriculture (DA) will hold on-the-ground consultations with farmers and lawmakers to prepare for the deliberations on the proposed RICE Act, which aims to reinstate the regulatory powers of the National Food Authority (NFA). Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said he has...
CEBU CITY – Sacks of suspected smuggled rice worth P38 million were seized from a warehouse in Barangay San Roque, Talisay City, Cebu on Wednesday afternoon, July 9. Led by Frederick D. Go, Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs, the operation led to the...
ILOILO CITY – The P20 per kilo rice program of the Department of Agriculture (DA) dubbed “Benteng Bigas Meron Na” (BBM) was launched in the island-province of Guimaras on Tuesday, July 8. DA Undersecretary for Operations Roger Navarro and DA-6 Regional Director Dennis Arpia joined Gov. Maria...
