As Senator Kiko Pangilinan pushes for the return of the National Food Authority’s (NFA) powers to regulate, trade, and import rice, he also seeks additional stringent safeguards to prevent abuse, ensure accountability, and protect both farmers and consumers.
During the second public hearing on the amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform said that any revisions to the law and restoration of NFA powers will be counterproductive without assuring adequate checks are in place.
“Kumuha na lang tayo ng bato, pukpok natin sa ulo natin dahil sakit lang ng ulo ang mangyayari.”
“Lagi ko itong sinasabi: Kumuha na lang tayo ng bato, pukpok natin sa ulo natin dahil sakit lang ng ulo ang mangyayari kapag ibabalik sa inyo nang walang safeguards ‘yung kapangyarihan,” Pangilinan told the NFA during the hearing.
The veteran legislator is proposing two major safeguards before reinstating the NFA’s powers under his proposed RTL amendments: a citizen’s participatory audit, with the active involvement of the private sector, farmers’ organizations, and other relevant stakeholders, to ensure transparency and accountability; and the requirement of an approved budget allocated for rice importation contracts, to prevent the NFA from engaging in overpriced or irregular import transactions.
The seasoned legislator recalled that when he was food security czar during the Aquino administration, he turned down four offers of overpriced imported rice, resulting in P7 billion in savings.
Addressing the NFA, the senator emphasized that the agency should capitalize on its leverage as a “big buyer” in the international rice market. By exercising prudent negotiation and fiscal discipline, the NFA can reject any import offers that exceed its approved budget for rice procurement, ensuring that every transaction safeguards public funds and upholds market integrity.
“Kailangan lang maging masinop kayo.”
He also urged the NFA to institutionalize measures for storing aging rice stock in their warehouses, and flagged the agency amid reports from Isabela province that it was buying from traders rather than from farmers.
“Kailangan lang maging masinop kayo doon sa pagbabantay ng mga ganitong klaseng intervention,” Pangilinan said.
“Kaya nga importante na kapag binigyan ulit kayo ng kapangyarihan, maliwanag ‘yung accountability, maliwanag may transparency, at maliwanag may citizens participation para mag-behave itong mga magtatangkang abusuhin yung kapangyarihang muling ibinalik,” he added.
At the hearing, Pangilinan took a step closer to amending the RTL, which he said has poisoned the local rice industry by facilitating the entry of more imported rice rather than providing support for local farmers and bringing down the price of rice in the domestic market.
