Senators urge caution on easing restrictions on agri imports
SEVERAL senators on Monday urged caution on moves to further ease barriers to agricultural imports.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier ordered the Department of Agriculture to relax the importation process for agricultural products and remove non-tariff barriers.
Malacañang said this is meant to boost local supplies and dampen rising commodity prices
Non-tariff barriers include quotas, import licensing systems, regulations and red tape that restrict or delay imports.
Senator Risa Hontiveros said that the government should ensure that while it eases regulations and non-tariff barriers, it should still ensure that import permits are being used correctly.
"At sa huli, sa panahon ng anihan o sagana ang produksyon, kailangang ipataw ang tamang taripa o buwis sa mga importasyon upang maiwasan ang dumping na siyang ikinalulugi ng ating mga magsasaka, mangingisda, at nag-aalaga ng hayop," Hontiveros said.
(In the end, during harvest season when production is high, tariffs or duties should be imposed on imports to avoid dumping which leads to losses for our farmers, fishers and livestock raisers.)
Senator Nancy Binay meanwhile said that while these barriers often create unnecessary complexities and costs for our farmers and consumers alike, the DA must ensure transparency once administrative measures are eased to achieve a more open and equitable market atmosphere.
"By evaluating both costs and benefits, we can guarantee that any adjustments to import regulations align with our goals of realizing food security, and fostering a resilient and sustainable agricultural sector," Binay said.
Senator Koko Pimentel meanwhile said the policy should be to increase domestic production of all food products that Filipinos consume.
"We should not encourage and/or convert our farmers (even indirectly through coops) to be importers," Pimentel said.
Senator Chiz Escudero also said that the government should ramp up local food production.
“True and genuine food security is based on domestic ability and supply to answer our needs with importation simply being a stopgap or in the interim while we haven’t achieved food security yet in order to curb inflation of basic food staples,” the senator added.
National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Arsenio Balisacan meanwhile said the aim of the measure is to remove barriers "that unnecessarily push local prices to go high, to remain high especially when there are clear shortages."
"When there is not enough local production, we must be able to efficiently avail of supplies from other markets like of course from abroad we import. Those must arrive on time, those must come in with proper volume and at low cost for importers," Balisacan said.
Meanwhile, the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. said it supports easing agricultural imports.
FFCCCII President Cecilio Pedro these measures help ensure affordable food prices and stabilize inflation.
But the group also urged the government to focus on long-term reforms and modernization initiatives to enhance Philippine agriculture.