Senator Francis Pangilinan on Tuesday called for the immediate release of the long-delayed rice tariff guidelines and the remaining P13 billion in Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) allocations, warning that continued inaction is undermining productivity and threatening food security.
He said farmers preparing for the next harvest cycle in February and March are facing growing uncertainty as agencies miss their own target for issuing new tariff rules meant to stabilize prices amid volatile global markets.
“Our economic managers promised that the new rice tariff-setting guidelines would be released in the first week of December, and the deadline is approaching,” Pangilinan warned.
He added that delays in the release of seed funds are especially harmful during planting months, when farmers depend on timely inputs to hit optimal planting windows and avoid losses.
“This is not a technical delay, this is a blow to productivity and food security. The government should be alert and responsive to the people who feed the nation,” the lawmaker asserted.
Department of Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel De Mesa, meanwhile, said the agency has a solid blueprint for improving food systems but needs the right expertise and resources to fully carry it out.
“Rice will always be a political staple, but our future prosperity depends on looking beyond rice, supporting diversified, high-value crops for both domestic benefit and export potential,” he said during a fireside chat hosted by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada.
The event gathered more than 80 business leaders and agriculture officials from both Canada and the Philippines to discuss innovations that can strengthen regional food systems and improve supply chain resilience.
Barrett Bingley, Asia Regional Director at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, and Christopher Ilagan, president of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, said Momentum Manila highlighted practical opportunities for collaboration on food security.
They added that these discussions will continue at the Canada in Asia Conference 2026, further advancing joint initiatives to strengthen regional food systems.
