Baguilat bats for review of rice tarrification law

Former Rep. Teodoro Baguilat Jr. explains a point during a press conference in Cagayan de Oro City on Thursday. | Photo by Ryan Rosauro of Inquirer Mindanao

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Former Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat Jr. has batted for a review of the Rice Tarrification Law (RTL) to determine if it has lived up to the promise of keeping the price of the staple grain affordable to the people.

Baguilat, who is second nominee of Mamamayang Liberal (ML) party, said the RTL is supposed to help prop up the country’s rice industry through a fund raised from duties imposed on imported grains.

The fund supposedly goes to bankroll the whole range of initiatives to increase productivity and modernize rice farming in the country, he explained.

And all these initiatives are supposed to ensure stable supply of the staple and hence affordable price in the market, he further said.

The RTL was passed into law in 2019.

READ: Rice Tariffication Law amendment to temper rice prices

Through its buying of palay, the National Food Authority comes in to influence the farmgate pricing of the crop to make sure that farmers also earn well from producing rice, Baguilat pointed out.

“We want to see how the RTL had played out in all these, especially that we continue to buy rice at high prices. There must be a dysfunction somewhere, and that is what we would like to uncover and remedy if given a chance to be back in Congress,” Baguilat said.

He also batted for consistent priority allocation of resources for education, health, and conditional cash grants for poor families.

Although he acknowledged the dire need for the government to come strong against corruption, Baguilat stood firm against imposing the death penalty for the offense.

“Instead of imposing such a harsh penalty, let us strengthen our justice system, and make sure that it does not only serve the rich and powerful,” Baguilat explained.

Baguilat held townhall meetings here with various sectoral leaders on Thursday.