Agricultural Dilemma
A dilemma that confronts Filipino farmers. ✏️ Glenn Junsay Pansensoy · 📁 National Affairs · ⏱️ 6 min read The Rice Tariffication Law: A Double-Edged Sword for Philippine Food Security The Rice Tariffication Law (RA 11203) From Protectionism to Open Borders: A Policy That Fed Cities but Challenged Rural Livelihoods Enhanced Analysis with Full Justification • April 2026 The Old System: Decades of Protectionism For decades, the Philippine rice market was defined by protectionism. To shield millions of domestic growers, the government strictly limited foreign imports through quantitative restrictions and quotas. This kept local farmgate and retail prices artificially high, prioritizing food sovereignty and rural employment over consumer affordability. The old system protected smallholder farmers from highly efficient p...