A militant leader and former Anakpawis Party-list representative  has said that the measure, Republic Act 11203, “undermined food security and worsened import-dependence.”

President Rodrigo Duterte signed RA 11203, removing quantitative restrictions on rice imports supposedly to curb the increases in prices of rice in the  market.

Consequently, the Philippines was declared in the latter part of 2019 as the top global rice importer based on a report of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The said law, however, is taking a toll on local farmers, said  former Anakpawis Party-list Rep. Ariel  Casilao in a statement.

“Liberalization is a historical scourge to Filipino peasants. Since the country’s entry to the World Trade Organization and [the] influx of imported rice, farmers have been its usual victims,” Casilao said.

RA No. 11203 is “An Act Liberalizing the Importation, Exportation and Trading of Rice, Lifting for the Purpose the Quantitative Import Restriction on Rice, and For Other Purposes.”

The measure amends Section 2 of Republic Act (R. A.) No. 8178. , to read as follows:

“Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy.  It is the policy of the State to ensure food security and to make the country’s agricultural sector viable, efficient and globally competitive. The State adopts the use of tariffs m lieu of non-tariff import restrictions to protect local producers of agricultural products.”

On the other hand, the  Philippines is likely to remain the world’s biggest rice importer by 2020.

The United States Department of Agriculture – Foreign Agriculture Service (USDA-FAS) made the statement after data reveals the massive importing activities of the country.

The country will be importing 2.7 million metric tons of rice in 2020. This is even higher than the number that China might pose at 2.4 million metric tons.

However, despite the country’s efforts to lower its rice importation amid excessive supply as well as support for better local production next year, rice importation will remain higher than the five-year average.

Last year, Anakpawis, rice watchdog Bantay Bigas, and Amihan Federation of Peasant Women submitted to House of Representatives a petition with 50,000 signatures gathered across the country for the repeal of the measure.

Bantay Bigas said that they are aiming another batch of 100,000 signatures by March.

Members of the Makabayan bloc at the House of Representatives have also filed a bill seeking the repeal of RA 11203.

Gabriela Party-list also filed House Bill 477 or the Rice Industry Dev’t Act (RIDA) first pushed by the Anakpawis Party-list in the previous Congress. The measure, they said, aims to ensure rice self-sufficiency in the country./Stacy Ang