The Department Agriculture (DA) on Wednesday sought the early distribution of cash assistance to rice farmers worth P12 billion collected under the Rice Competitive Enhancement Fund (RCEF).
According to Agriculture chief Francisco Tiu Laurel, the distribution could be done as early as September or well ahead of last year’s exercises when the distribution was done in December.
“Last year’s (collection) excess was P20 billion, P12 billion of which will be given as cash, P1 billion for the Department of Agrarian Reform’s land titling program for farmers and the remaining P7 billion for crop diversification into high value crops,” Secretary Tiu Laurel said at a forum hosted by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Taguig City.
The cash beneficiaries are RCEF-accredited farmers owning less than two hectares of land.
Under the RCEF, 50 percent of collection is set aside for the farm machinery and equipment program, 30 percent for the rice seed development, 10 percent for the expanded rice credit assistance program and the other 10 percent for rice extension services.
The DA said data from the Bureau of Customs show rice tariff collection in 2023 totaling P29.93 billion.
In a separate development, the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag) persists in questioning the legality of Executive Order 62 reducing the tariff on agricultural commodities, especially that on rice.
Rosendo So, Sinag chairman, said the group has asked the National Printing Office (NPO) for a certified true copy of EO 61 and proof of its publication.
None was given and the group was told such certifications “usually take two to three weeks”
Sinag said the lack of publication must be clarified by the National Economic and Development Authority given that the Bureau of Customs also cannot release confirmation that the rice tariff is only 15 percent in the absence of proof of publication
“Uploading on the Official Gazette is not publication and this is the reason why EO 62 was sent to the NPO. Publication as required and defined by law is always publication on a hard copy in a newspaper or in an official gazette,” So argued.
Virgie Lacsa Suarez, Sinag legal counsel, also said this was the reason why farm groups have yet to challenge the EO at the Supreme Court as “any action prior to publication is premature and an exercise in futility.”
“Our filing to the SC would need a certified true copy of the one published in the Official Gazette and a certification that is was indeed published,” Suarez said.
