Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 13) — An agricultural group on Monday said there is a need for lawmakers to further study the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) to know what will be its advantages and disadvantages, especially for Filipino farmers.
“We want to review the RCEP more deeply so that malaman natin talaga ano ba ang advantage sa atin if we enter the RCEP kasi wala tayong nakitang advantage, more on import tayo,” Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) Chairman Rosendo So told CNN Philippines’ The Source.
[Translation: We want to review the RCEP more deeply so that we’ll know what will be its advantages for us if we enter RCEP because we don’t see any advantage since we are more on importing.]
Last week, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said the upper chamber is looking at ratifying the RCEP before Congress goes on a Holy Week break on March 24.
The RCEP is a free trade agreement among the 10 countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as well as China, Japan, Australia, South Korea, and New Zealand.
It is seen to ease trade in goods and services among its members through a modern, comprehensive, and mutually beneficial economic partnership.
So said it is important to determine first how Filipino farmers will benefit from RCEP given that the volume of importation in the country has been increasing.
He noted that last year, the Philippines imported 3.7 million metric tons (MT) of rice, compared to only 1.5 million MT five years ago. More imported pork also entered the country last year at 700,000 MT versus only 180,000 MT five years ago, he added.
“Bakit pa tayo papasok doon in which it will only kill our local farmers,” he pointed out.
[Translation: Why will we enter that agreement if it will only kill our local farmers.]
Before entering RCEP, So said there are still other problems that the government should address when it comes to importing, like improving the country’s borders to address smuggling.
