Former Agriculture Secretary Leony Montemayor expressed support for President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s decision to implement a rice importation ban starting September 1.
In an interview on Special on Saturday, Montemayor explained that he backs the President’s move to halt rice imports, warning that continued importation could further depress the price of palay (unhusked rice), to the detriment of local farmers. He believes that suspending imports will help protect Filipino farmers from suffering even lower prices for their crops.
Montemayor noted that since the enactment of the Rice Tariffication Law in 2019, the government has ceased managing rice imports, as the law transferred full responsibility for importation to the private sector.
“Wala na pong kontrol ang gobyerno diyan sa mga volumes o quantities ng rice at any time of the year,” he pointed out, implying that all authority over rice importation now rests entirely with private entities.
“The only role na ibinibigay ng Rice Tariffication Law sa ating gobyerno ay yung pagma-maintain ng reserba o power stock ng National Food Authority—para naman ay may pagkukunan ang ating gobyerno sa panahon ng mga kalamidad, para tulungan yung mga biktima ng bagyo at natural calamities. Other than that, it's totally left to the private sector. Kaya yun po ang nakita natin the past six years,” he said.
Montemayor emphasized that Filipino farmers are the ones who truly bear the consequences of import decisions made by the private sector. He highlighted the painful reality of over-importation and the diminished role of the National Food Authority (NFA), which no longer has the power to intervene.
He also pointed out that in the past, the NFA restricted rice imports to periods outside the harvest season. Today, however, imports can enter the country at any time.
“So talagang hirap na hirap ang ating magsasaka. That’s why tama po si Presidente na magkaroon ng import ban—at least during the period of the main harvest,” he stated.
During harvest season, the influx of supply naturally causes the price of palay to drop. Montemayor stressed that this was the President’s rationale for temporarily halting rice importation: to protect local farmers and stabilize palay prices.
Moreover, Montemayor said it was clear to him that the President had been assured of a sufficient rice supply in the country before announcing the import ban policy.
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