An appeal: Defer, fix and then join RCEP

If we proceed with the ratification of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) tomorrow without having fixed our situation, it will only become a recipe for disaster for agriculture. We must now take this golden opportunity to finally move as one nation, without forgetting agriculture, for the benefit of our people.

First, full disclosure. I am either committee chair or vice chair of three different industry organizations that advocate immediate RCEP ratification at tomorrow’s Senate session. I agree with many of the arguments, some more valid than others, given by the organizations where I am deeply involved in: Management Association of the Philippines, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Federation of Philippine Industries.

But as a Filipino who does not wish to continue with a government that favors the rich at the expense of the poor, we urge the industry sector to not leave behind agriculture. I am an industry leader myself (I was president for the Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines and the Asean Federation of Cement Manufacturers for a cumulative 12 years). At the same time, I was also elected representative of the legislated public-private sector Department of Agriculture-Philippine Council of Agriculture and Fisheries (DA-PCAF) and chair of the Alyansa Agrikultura.

It is about time we act as one.

For the nine years prior to the pandemic, industry has achieved a 6.8-percent annual average growth rate compared to agriculture’s 1.6 percent. Was agriculture left behind? Yes. Did the rich get richer and the poor get poorer? Yes.

The RCEP issue gives us an opportunity to correct this serious injustice. Agriculture has suffered tremendously, betrayed by the promises 26 years ago when we acceded—without the proper preparations—to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Unlike countries like Vietnam which prepared well and benefited from WTO, we actually violated legal provisions and let our farmers suffer.

In those 26 years, we never even took on the preparations made by the likes of Vietnam prior to joining the WTO. Opening up to RCEP immediately without implementing these measures will only worsen our situation.

We need to defer, fix our agriculture situation, then join RCEP when we are ready, the way India is doing it right now.

If we take corrective actions—and we have specific recommendations that are cavalierly and unconscionably being ignored—RCEP can be beneficial for all.

The first order of business is to implement a law calling for a Market Information System. Other countries have made this a priority. We have the law, but we have no such system. How can competent governance and management be done without the necessary information?

Smuggling

There are also laws penalizing smuggling. Still, efforts to encourage transparency have been denied officially, repeat smugglers have not been jailed, specific measures to address the issue have been rejected. But smuggling will become more rampant as other countries target more subsidized exports to our country. Without any corrective actions, RCEP will likely make smuggling worse.

On the issue of quarantine, despite commitments and budget allocation for the necessary facilities, the African Swine Fever still devastated our swine industry. We have the budget, but why have we allowed this to happen?

Data and consultation

In the PCAF Law, agriculture information has to be provided by government and should be subject to private sector consultation. All PCAF international committee hearings prior to the Senate hearings on RCEP were all canceled, denying opportunities for the members to be heard.

The DA has stubbornly insisted the RCEP posed no threats to agriculture, but this was disputed by 51 organizations in a statement. As of Tuesday, there are now 104 signatories. The DA has yet to respond.

It’s better to light a candle than curse the darkness that has hounded agriculture in the last few decades.

We must defer the ratification of RCEP, fix the deep problems and prepare like India. Other countries will only sell us their subsidized products. They will only take advantage of our very defective agriculture system.

We will only fall deeper and deeper into a quagmire of irresponsibility, incompetence, injustice and poverty.

We don’t want to end up the laughingstock of Asia.

The author is Agriwatch chair, former Secretary of Presidential programs and projects and former undersecretary of DA and DTI. Contact is [email protected].