President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered a review of legislation that might be considered as “barriers” to achieving food security.
Mr. Marcos, who is also the Agriculture Secretary, gave the order during Monday’s Cabinet meeting.
“There are quite many overlaps, so all departments will be working together on the policy review, assessment review, and proposals. Those that were identified for possible policy review and legislation are the barriers to efficient transportation, red tape, and permit systems to make these more efficient,” Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said.
“We’re also looking at a review of policy and possible legislation to balance importation with local production and to address the issues of over and under production,” she added.
This developed as a group of poultry producers urged the government to reduce the importation of chicken and other poultry products, saying these could kill the local industry.
United Broilers Raisers Association and Philippine Egg Board chairman Gregorio San Diego Jr. said they have been selling their products at lower farmgate prices amid the influx of imported chicken.
“This past weekend, prices of our products dropped by P10. This is unusual because our prices usually rise during the weekend. But this time, prices went down. Our rate at the farm for live chicken is P92 to P101. Our capital for that is about P112. So, we are losing about P10 per kilo,” San Diego said.
He said 212 million kilos of imported poultry products entered the country from January to July this year, still below the approved import permits for 416 million kilograms for the same period.
Cruz-Angeles said the meeting on food security was “primarily to address the issues of efficiency of transport of food, balancing imports with local production and so on.”
“We are looking at food security in general. while there are certain things, certain crops that we discussed such as, but not limited to rice. We are looking at things that cross what kind of crops we are looking at—it’s not just even crops,” she said.
Meanwhile, two congressional leaders filed a bill seeking to amend the anti-agricultural smuggling act of 2016 to include and classify cigarette smuggling as economic sabotage.
The President’s son, senior Deputy Majority Leader Sandro Marcos, and PBA Party-list Rep. Margarita Ignacia Nograles filed House Bill (HB) 3917.
Marcos is from Ilocos Norte, which is noted for its tobacco farming, while Nograles hails from Mindanao, where incidentally the illicit tobacco trade is prevalent.
Under the proposed law, cigarette smuggling as economic sabotage carries stiffer and heftier penalties, including making the illicit trade non-bailable.
Specifically, Marcos and Nograles want tobacco “both in its raw form or as finished products” be included as among agricultural commodities.
Under the original law, only included as agricultural commodities are rice, sugar, corn, pork, poultry, garlic, onion, carrots, fish, and “cruciferous vegetables” like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower.
The law states that large-scale smuggling of any of these agricultural products is economic sabotage, a heinous crime.
Under the proposed bill, cigarette smugglers face a minimum of 30 years imprisonment but not exceeding 40 years, with no bail recommended.
At the same time, violators will be obliged to settle a fine double the value of the seized smuggled items, plus the total amount of unpaid duties, and other taxes.