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FMJ to Congress: amend RTL
By Nidz Godino
“Latest thing we’re doing is amending RTL, Rice Tariffication Law…we did this so that we could control price of rice because price of rice increased too fast,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in interview in Koronadal City when asked about government’s support for farmers renewed his call to Congress to pass amendment to Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) seeks to restore price stabilization and supply regulation functions of National Food Authority (NFA).
“So if our Congress gives us permission to import, we will go along…this is actually first why NFA was created,” he added.
House recently approved on final reading measure seeking amendments to RTL.
House version of bill allows NFA to, in following order, purchase local milled rice; purchase up to maximum of 30 percent brought in by accredited importers at cost and, as final recourse, once all domestic sources have been exhausted, directly import rice, subject to explicit authorization from agriculture secretary, if buffer stock requirement is still not sufficient.
RTL amendment is also expected to bring down price of rice by P10 to P15 per kilogram.
Marcos would certify bill as urgent to bring down rice prices, currently stand at P50 to P60 per kilo.
RTL, enacted in 2019, allows unlimited entry of imported rice to the country in bid to keep prices low due to larger supply.
It also bans NFA from buying and selling rice.
“NFA was established to stabilize price of rice,” Marcos pointed out.
Meanwhile, NFA in Bulacan is still buying palay at government-supported price of P30 per kilo amid radio reports on Thursday that it has ceased its palay procurement program.
Rhona Talens, officer-in-charge of NFA Bulacan, told in text message “palay procurement operation in NFA Bulacan is ongoing in San Ildefonso warehouse.”
Farmer leader from San Miguel town, confirmed erroneously reported in radio interview that NFA Bulacan has stopped buying palay in the province.
Despite bad weather, Marcos pushed through with distribution of land titles to agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Mindanao.
Marcos distributed more than 4,900 land titles and extended assistance to farmers of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay at the Zamboanga del Norte Convention Center in Dipolog City.
Of the figure, 1,211 land titles were given to Zamboanga Sibugay, 2,211 to Zamboanga del Norte, and 1,534 to Zamboanga del Sur.
The President also turned over more than P15 million worth of farming tools and equipment to increase production and ease work of 15,773 ARBs.
Earlier he led distribution of more than 4,000 electronic titles and certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs) to ARBs in Region 12 in Koronadal City.
Total of 3,167 e-titles and 1,184 CLOAs were distributed to 4,271 ARBs in South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sarangani and Sultan Kudarat.
Marcos would not stop until all land titles are distributed to ARBs.
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