Senators Francis Pangilinan and Risa Hontiveros have filed a joint Senate resolution seeking to revoke the president’s authority to adjust tariffs on imported rice, citing the severe impact on local farmers.
Filed on August 4, Joint Senate Resolution No. 2 urges Congress to terminate the power granted to the president under Section 1608 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (RA 10863), which allows tariff adjustments without congressional approval.
The resolution aims to restore the rice import tariff to 35%, reversing Executive Order No. 62, which slashed it to 15% in June 2024. The senators warned that this move triggered a surge in rice imports, undercutting local farmers and depressing farmgate prices.
“Kailangan natin umaksyon ngayon. Hindi mamaya. Hindi bukas. Ngayon,” said Pangilinan, chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform.
“Wag natin patayin ng paunti-unti ang ating mga magsasaka. Ipaglaban naman natin ang karapatan nila na kumita ng sapat at maayos, na mabuhay ng may dangal.”
The resolution cited that by mid-2025, the farmgate price of palay had dropped to P16.9 per kilo, down from P24.9 the previous year, well below sustainable levels. The average cost to produce a kilo of palay in 2023 was P13.38, excluding drying and transport.
The Philippines, after cutting tariffs, became the world’s top rice importer in 2024, placing additional pressure on domestic rice production.
While the law grants the president tariff-setting powers, the resolution stresses that Congress can revoke this authority. It also calls on the Senate and House to review the state of the rice industry and the condition of local farmers through committee caucuses.IMT
