RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will certify legislation to amend the rice tarrification law as urgent, Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food Chair Francis Pangilinan said, citing a meeting he had in Malacañang.

While that legislation is pending, Pangilinan said, he expects Malacañang to issue executive orders that will help farmers find buyers for their produce at better prices.

Certifying a measure as urgent signals adminstration support for a bill and also allows Congress to fast-track passage.

Pangilinan said he had met with Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. and National Food Authority Larry Lacson on the need to amend the rice tarrification law, which farmers’ groups say has driven down palay prices but has failed to bring rice prices down.  

“Sinunod natin ito sa  pagpupulong kasama ni Presidente Marcos Jr. sa Malacañang at sinangayunan niya ang pangangailangan na ma-sertipika na urgent itong pag-amyenda sa rice tariffication measure,” Pangilinan said.

(We followed that up with a meeting with President Marcos Jr. in Malacañang and he agreed there is a need to certify amendments to the rice tariffication measure as urgent)

Farmers’ groups opposed the measure, which removed limits on rice importation and instead imposed a tariff to keep local rice competitive. 

Pangilinan recounted testimony from farmers who attended the committee’s previous hearing and who told senators about farmgate prices as low as P8/kilogram as imported rice flooding the market.

“Kung patakaran at polisiya ang lupang tatamnan ng sektor ng agrikultura, malinaw na isang naging lason (at) hindi pataba ang naging epekto at resulta ng rice tariffication law,” Pangilinan said.

(If policies were the soil that the agriculture sector would plant on, it is clear that the rice tariffication law has been a poison instead of fertilizer)

Sen. Francis Escudero in July filed a bill to give the DA and NFA more authority on matters of food security.

“To be clear, this bill will not restore the quantitative restrictions abolished by the Rice Tariffication Law,” Escudero said in the explanatory note of the bill.

“Rather, it will enable targeted state intervention to protect public welfare, support farmers, and ensure food security.”

EXECUTIVE ORDERS WHILE AMENDMENTS ARE PENDING

Pangilinan said that while legislation is pending, Malacañang is expected to issue orders to help farmers.

One EO is expected to set a minimum floor price for palay, Pangilinan, who has met with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on the issue, said.

The other order will be for the full implementation of the Sagip Saka Act, a 2018 law meant to support farming and aquaculture.

Under that law, government agencies are directed to buy the agricultural and fishery products they need directly from accredited farmers and fisherfolk cooperatives and enterprises.

The EO is expected to mandate all agencies related to food security and food and agricultural product procurement to buy directly from farmers and fisherfolk organization.

“Mga ospital, mga provincial city jail,  mga cafeteria ng state universities, makikipag-ugnayan na sa mga farmers and fisherfolks organizations para direktang bilhin itong agriculture products  sa tamang presyo.”

(Hospitals, provincial city jails, cafeterias of state universities will coordinate with these organizations to buy agriculture products directly and at the right price)

Published Date: October 15, 2025