MANILA — Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan pressed for a full accounting of nearly P60 billion allocated to the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) since 2019, as the Senate began deliberations on amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL).

“Bagamat bumaba ng bahagya, mahal pa rin ang bigas sa palengke. Napaka mura ang bilihan ng palay sa bukid, hindi pa rin umuunlad ang kalagayan ng ating mga magpapalay,” Pangilinan said in his opening remarks at the hearing of the Senate Committee on Agriculture.

The senator raised concerns that tariff collections earmarked for farmers may have been diverted to political allies instead of reaching intended beneficiaries. He also flagged alleged manipulation in the rice trade, pointing to blacklisted firms linked to smuggling and investigations by the National Bureau of Investigation and Philippine Competition Commission into middlemen accused of keeping retail prices high.

“Kung totoong na-manipulate ang presyo, kung totoo ngang hindi napunta sa mga magsasaka ang mga pondo, dapat itong papanagutin,” Pangilinan said.

The committee discussed Senate Bill 284, Joint Resolution No. 2, and Senate Resolution No. 3, all filed by Senator Raffy Tulfo, which seek to amend the RTL to address surging imports, depressed farmgate prices, and farmer losses.

Data presented at the hearing showed the Philippines has become the world’s largest rice importer for three consecutive years, with shipments projected at 3.65 million metric tons in 2023, 4.7 million in 2024, and 5.4 million in 2025. Despite the inflows, retail prices still climbed 1.4 times between 2021 and 2024 due to supply restrictions abroad, climate shocks, and trader practices.

Pangilinan said reforms should restore the National Food Authority’s regulatory role, tighten import rules, and strengthen government enforcement against cartels. He cited his stint as NFA Council chair in 2014–2015, when rice inflation dropped from 15 percent to 0.8 percent in a year following stricter oversight and enforcement operations.

“If the NFA is given the right powers and has the right, well, I’d like to think, serious leadership; it can be done,” he said.