The Rice Tariffication Law

(Position paper)
What is the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) or the Republic Act No. 11203 ?
It is an act liberalizing the importation, exportation and trading of rice lifting for the
purpose of the quantitative import restriction on rice and for other purposes.

Is this law benefitable to all of us? Or only to us the Consumers it is benefitable? What
will happen to our Rice Production/Agriculture here in the Philippines? Will our farmers
survived by selling their Palay at a very cheap price just to compete with other Rice
Producers? What if our Rice Farmers will get tired of this setup and eventually sold their
farm and convert it to a Condominium or Mall? What will happen to our Rice
Agriculture?

So This law will let the Rice Importers to import unlimited rice to other countries like
Vietnam and Thailand because they has the cheapest price of rice in Asia, but the rice
they’re selling was only their excess that is why they’re selling it more cheaper than the
other Rice Producers.

An official of National Food Authorities on Sunday belied that the buying price of Palay
has dropped to P6 to P7 per kilo, as a result of Rice Tariffication Law. Our Rice Farmers
farmers are forced to sell their palay at a very low price just to get even or at least to get
a small profit to all they hardwork.

Yes, this law may benefit us the Consumers because we can now buy the cheapest rice
in the market, but the market also bought this rice to the country that sells rice at a very
low price, what about our rice farmers here in our own country? Will we not be
considering their hardwork just to provide us our rice to eat? I think there is only a small
difference between the price of our rice and the imported rice (it’s just my own opinion)
though, why don’t we just buy locally produced rice, instead of imported ones?

And what will gonna happen if our rice farmers will get tired of this setup and just sell
their farm lands and their land will soon get sold to Factory Owners, Mall Owners, Real
Estate Owners, etc. And they will build them building to all of our farm lands in the
Philippines, a bit exaggerated but no one knows what will happen soon if no one will
pay their attention to our farmer’s hardwork.
If this law will prolonged, I think our rice acriculture will fall down or will descend and
our farmers will soon get tired of their low income from farming because their income
from farming can’t even afford to raise or to fed their family. How can they send their
children to school? What farmer would want to continue farming if their situation is like
this?

We, who understand the situation of our farmers, lets urge our fellow countrymen to
buy local rice and support Filipino farmers as they feel the severe effects of the Rice
Tariffication Law. We can set up a market only for the Local farmers so that they won’t
go through a rigorous process just to sell their goods. By setting up a market these
farmers will directly sell their goods to the consumers, this will become a lot easier to
them to earn income they deserve.

Let’s help our Farmers as they face a negative impact since the implementation of the
Rice Tariffication Law.