LEADERS of the Philippine Rice Industry Stakeholders Movement (PRISM) on Monday assured the public that rice prices would significantly drop to as low as P42 per kilo by July, following President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s issuance of an executive order reducing tariff rates on imported rice.
PRISM founders Rowena Sadicon and Orly Manuntag made the assurance during a press conference held after their meeting with Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez and other leaders of the House of Representatives at the Manila Golf and Country Club in Makati City.
PRISM is a group composed of various stakeholders across the rice value chain from seed growers, farmers, millers to traders, importers and retailers.
Manuntag expressed his gratitude to the Speaker and other lawmakers for their fruitful discussions on stabilizing rice prices in the market in line with the President’s Executive Order (EO) No. 62, which reduces the tariff on imported rice from 35 percent to 15 percent.
“Maraming salamat po kay Speaker at sa lahat ng congressmen dito sa pagkakaroon po namin ng magandang pag-uusap tungkol po doon sa presyo ng bigas na mapaabot po natin sa market lalong-lalo na sa mga retailers po natin all over the Philippines,” Manuntag said.
Manuntag, who is also the spokesperson of the Grain Retailers Confederation of the Philippines, said the reduced tariff would be felt across the markets, especially by Filipino consumers.
“Ito po ang isa sa itutulong po namin na maramdaman sa bawat merkado ang papasok na EO 62 at ang sinasabi po nating 15-percent tariff na maramdaman ng namamayang Pilipino,” Manuntag said.
“So inaasahan po namin na sa mga P45-P46 o P44-P42 ang ating mga presyo ng bigas sa market pagpasok nitong July, sa 15 percent na tariff po natin,” he added.
Sadicon, who is also PRISM’s lead convenor, addressed the concerns of local farmers, assuring them that their interests would not be overlooked despite the tariff reduction.
“We’d like to assure din po ang ating mga farmers at ang ating mga local production na isusulong po natin ang ating cluster farming at matulungan po sila nang husto na hindi po mapabayaan ‘yun pong ating local production,” Sadicon said.
She continued, “Sa kabila po ng ganitong mga usapin, kung mapag-uusapan po talaga nang mabuti at maisusulong ang pagtulong sa ating mga farmers, babantayan po namin ‘yun. At the same time, dun din po sa presyo ng bigas sa ating merkado.” Also present during the meeting were House Committee on Appropriations Chairman Zaldy Co, House Committee on Agriculture and Food Chairman Mark Enverga, Deputy Majority Leader Erwin Tulfo, and National Food Authority OIC-Administrator Larry Lacson.
