Taking a longer look back on rice imports, palay, and rice prices
Most of the analysis done on the impact of the rice tariffication law make use of fairly recent data, as in what happened to rice imports, palay and rice prices in 2019. It may be useful to look slightly farther back, say in the last 10 to 15 years.
Finding our balance in modernizing our rice industry
Public support is shifting from rice consumers in 2018 to rice farmers this year. Last year, the country’s inflation rate breached Central Bank’s upper band. Analysts blamed that on rice price inflation, which carries among the largest weight in the consumer’s price index.
Rice tariffication problems and measures to deal with them
I don't see any evidence at this point that lawmakers of the 17th Congress made a big mistake passing this law.
Is rice tariffication working?
This year is special since this government did what several governments in the past did not dare do: liberalize rice imports
Managing change under the RTA law
There is urgency in issuing the IRRs. There is always time to refine the IRRs. Filipinos would certainly not be happy to see the IRRs in April or May only to find out also that rice prices would start to go up because there is not enough rice in the country today.
Rice tariffication good for the country, Filipino farmers
Putting aside the topic of complying with our World Trade Organization obligation, is the law now on the President’s desk good for our farmers?
Property valuation services: Are we losing international competitiveness?
An important lesson of the 2008 global financial crisis is that unstable real estate markets can bring down the global economy. Corollary to that, they can deprive an emerging economy with financing, stunting investments and economic growth.
Price controls on medicines
The proposed law would empower the DPRB to cap prices of drugs and medicines, and to sanction non-compliant pharmaceutical companies and medicine retail outlets.Its purpose is to “effectively reduce the cost of drugs or medicines.” Now who could be against that?
Red flags in rice tariffication
Significant reduction of the rice price cools down inflation. Yes, the problem has other factors, such as the spike of world petroleum prices and the tax reform law, which increased excise taxes. Holding them constant, we can fight inflation if we can just reduce rice prices.
Not a new jockey, Mr. President, NFA needs to retire
A mere transfer of the agency back to the Office of the President or to the Office of the Secretary of Agriculture from the Cabinet Secretary’s Office is a palliative cure to rising rice prices and corruption in the NFA.
Weighing Alcala’s rice self-sufficiency program
The rice self-sufficiency program of former secretary Proceso Alcala was the banner program of the Department of Agriculture. No less than former president Aquino bragged about it twice in Congress in his state of the nation addresses in 2012 and 2013.
Without the US, the TPP is back but for how long?
On sidelines of the APEC summit in Danang, Vietnam, the remaining 11 contracting parties of the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal or TPP are expected to sign the TPP-11 trade deal or at least say they will do so in at most a year’s time.
