Senate Pushes to Revert Rice Tariff Rates
MANILA, Philippines — Senators have filed a joint resolution to end the President’s delegated authority to adjust tariff rates on rice. The move aims to restore rice tariff rates to previous levels, addressing urgent concerns over the agricultural sector’s plight.
Senators Risa Hontiveros and Kiko Pangilinan introduced Senate Joint Resolution No. 2 on Monday. They emphasized the need to revert rice tariff rates to levels before the recent drastic reduction. This measure reflects growing alarm over the impact of lowered tariffs on Filipino farmers.
Impact of Executive Order on Rice Tariffs
The lawmakers pointed to Executive Order No. 62, issued in June 2024, which sharply cut tariffs on imported rice from 35 percent down to 15 percent. According to local leaders, this policy has unleashed a surge of foreign rice flooding the Philippine market. Consequently, Filipino farmers face devastating losses, threatening their livelihoods.
Hontiveros and Pangilinan described the combination of reduced tariffs and falling global rice prices as a “perfect storm” that has severely battered the agricultural sector. Despite the goal of lowering consumer prices, farmers now sell palay at prices far below production costs. For instance, the farmgate price dropped to around P16.9 per 2 kilograms in June 2025, a steep decline from over P24.9 just a year earlier, while production cost averaged P13.38 per kilogram in 2023.
Constitutional and Legal Grounds for Resolution
The senators stressed that tariff-setting authority fundamentally belongs to Congress under Article VI, Section 28(2) of the Philippine Constitution. While the President’s delegated power to adjust tariffs exists under Section 1608 of Republic Act No. 10863 (Customs Modernization and Tariff Act of 2016), it is not absolute. The CMTA explicitly allows Congress to withdraw this power through a joint resolution.
Hence, the resolution seeks to terminate the President’s delegated authority and restore rice tariffs to their prior 35 percent rate for both in-quota and out-quota imports. This move aims to protect local farmers and stabilize the market.
Next Steps: Senate and House Committees to Review Rice Industry
The resolution further mandates that relevant Senate and House committees conduct caucuses to assess the current rice industry status. These reviews will cover market prices, production costs, import volumes, and farmer welfare to craft informed policy responses.
The proposed joint resolution reflects growing legislative efforts to address the economic challenges facing Filipino farmers amid global market pressures and tariff changes.
For more news and updates on rice tariff rates, visit Filipinokami.com.
