Visayas farmers, stakeholders consulted to strengthen the proposed Rice Bill

Farmers, local government units, millers, traders, and other key stakeholders from the four regions in the Visayas gathered in Iloilo City on October 23 for the pilot Rice Industry Stakeholders Consultative Meeting on the proposed Rice Bill aimed at addressing the pressing challenges in the country’s rice value chain.

The consultation gathered recommendations from various sectors to ensure the proposed legislation benefits both rice producers and consumers.

According to Atty. Asis G. Perez, the Undersecretary for Policy, Planning, and Regulations at the Department of Agriculture (DA), the proposed Rice Bill aims protect farmers’ livelihoods, re-empower the National Food Authority (NFA), ensure stable and affordable rice prices, promote food security and national resilience, establish a Rice Office, and maintain transparency and accountability within the rice industry.

The influx of imported rice into the domestic market has significantly lowered palay prices, thereby reducing the income of local farmers. Designed to liberalize rice importation, the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) has unintentionally exposed local rice growers to unfair competition.

USec. Perez added that without effective market regulation, rice prices remain unstable. When palay prices fall, the retail price of rice remains high, leaving both farmers and consumers disadvantaged.

With the new rice bill, the government will restore its regulatory functions to stabilize the market. Existing fragmented rice programs will be unified into a comprehensive strategy, and agricultural extension services will be enhanced.

The bill also aims to ensure affordable rice prices without compromising farmers’ income, sustain farmers’ motivation to produce, rebuild and modernize the NFA to enhance its capacity to purchase, store, and process wet palay, and incentivize cooperatives and enterprises engaged in drying, milling, and other parts of the value chain.

“We all have to work together. We are here to consult, to listen, and to craft a policy that reflects the needs of all stakeholders,” said USec. Perez.

DA Western Visayas Regional Executive Director Dennis Arpia underscored the importance of correcting long-standing systemic weaknesses that have affected rice farmers’ welfare.

“Hindi pwedeng collateral damage ang mga magsasaka at kinabukasan ng bansang Pilipinas. Ito ay pagtatama, pagwawasto, at pag-iimprove ng pinakaimportanteng commodity ng DA. Sana dumating tayo sa pinagkaisahan natin na magdadala sa atin sa mas mabuting sitwasyon para sa mga magsasaka,” Arpia cited.

In support of an inclusive and transparent policy-making process, the same stakeholders’ consultative meetings will also be held on October 27 in Cagayan de Oro and on October 28 in Quezon City.

Stakeholders from the Central, Western, Eastern Visayas, and Negros Island Region had expressed their full support for the enactment of a strengthened Rice Bill, with its passage targeted for 2026.### Texts by Sheila Mae T. Cocjin & Photos by Myleen S. Subang/DA-RAFIS 6