SINAG wants 35% tariff on imported rice back

CEBU, Philippines — Farmers  group Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) has formally petitioned the Tariff Commission to reinstate the 35 percent tariff on imported rice, arguing that the implementation of Executive Order (EO) No. 62 has failed to bring down rice prices in the country.

In a letter addressed to Tariff Commission Chairperson Marilou Mendoza, SINAG chairman Rosendo So asserted that Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. s recent declaration of a food security emergency was a tacit admission that EO 62 had not achieved its intended goal.

 This is to formalize our petition for the reinstatement of the tariffs on rice to its original rate of 35 percent to ASEAN countries and 50 percent to non-ASEAN countries by repealing EO 62,  So stated.

So further emphasized that the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) itself had acknowledged that the executive order had not led to a reduction in rice prices.

 The House of Representatives  quinta committee, citing Philippine Statistics Authority data, said that domestic rice prices have risen from P51 per kilo in July 2024 to P55.30 per kilo in December 2024, even as the landed price of imported rice dropped by P11 per kilo,  he added.

The committee also noted a significant widening of the gap between landed and domestic prices, from P3 per kilo in 2023 to P20 per kilo in 2024.

 The quinta committee also reported that importers and traders collectively profited a staggering P13 billion after rice import tariffs were slashed from 35 percent to 15 percent under EO 62. All these are more than enough reasons for the repeal of EO 62,  So stressed.

The Office of the President has tasked NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan and Trade Secretary Ma. Christina Roque to review SINAG s request and make a recommendation on the matter. This directive came after SINAG wrote to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., urging the repeal of EO 62.

Deputy Executive Secretary for General Administration Naealla Bainto Aguinaldo, in a letter to Balisacan and Roque, acknowledged SINAG s request and referred the matter to the Committee on Tariff and Related Matters (CTRM), which is chaired and co-chaired by Roque and Balisacan, respectively.

 Should you find the proposed issuance in line with your policies, thrusts, and programs, the CTRM may submit its recommendation to the Office of the President, subject to compliance with the requirements of complete staff work under Memoranda Circular Nos. 72, 02, and 21,  Aguinaldo wrote.

In response, Balisacan referred the issue to Tariff Commission Chairperson Mendoza for further evaluation.

 We would like to refer to your office the January 23, 2025 letter from the Office of the Deputy Executive Secretary for General Administration (ODESGA), transmitting the request of SINAG. Particularly, SINAG is requesting the reinstatement of the tariffs on rice to its original rate of 35 percent to ASEAN countries and 50 percent to non-ASEAN countries by repealing EO No. 62,  Balisacan stated in his letter to Mendoza.

Farmers  groups, led by SINAG, have staunchly opposed EO 62 since its signing by President Marcos in June 2024. The measure was intended to lower rice prices but has instead been criticized for benefiting importers and traders while failing to reduce the retail cost of the staple grain.

To counteract the rising prices, the agriculture secretary implemented a maximum suggested retail price (SRP) on rice. On February 4, 2025, he also declared a food security emergency, authorizing the release of the National Food Authority s (NFA) rice stocks to help stabilize the market.

As the government reviews SINAG s petition, rice farmers and consumers alike await the administration s final decision on the fate of EO 62 and its impact on the country s rice supply and pricing. (CEBU NEWS)