Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 18) — A farmers’ group on Tuesday said the Department of Agriculture (DA) has yet to initiate a “serious” discussion to prepare local producers for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which it said may hurt their sector.
Raul Montemayor, national manager of the Federation of Free Farmers, said the DA must lead an “in-depth discussion” on how Filipino farmers can handle the effects of the RCEP, a mega-trade deal among 15 economies in the Asia Pacific region.
He also dismissed DA’s current programs for the industry as ineffective “in terms of preparing us for trade.”
“Ang hinahanap sana namin mga bagong [What we’re looking at are new] strategies, approaches that we will try out so that we will improve our competitiveness in terms of being able to export more products and at the same time our defensive interests in protecting our vulnerable sectors,” Montemayor said during the first briefing of the Senate Special Oversight Committee on RCEP.
“So far there has been no serious, in-depth discussion on this front. There is no dedicated discussion on how to prepare our farmers for trade and RCEP,” he added.
In response, DA Usec. Mercedita Agcaoili Sombilla said Montemayor’s concerns could be discussed in the department’s international trade committee.
“Moving forward, there is a plan to establish four core groups under that committee: one group would look into concerns regarding smuggling, one on trade negotiations, one on assessment of free trade agreements, and export promotion. This would indeed help,” Sombilla said.
She also said organizations must be “more collaborative” and not just criticize the efforts of the department.
RCEP is set to take effect in the country by June 2. It is designed to eliminate tariff rates — or the taxes imposed on imported products — on 90% of goods between signatories within 20 years.
READ: EXPLAINER: What is RCEP? Will PH benefit from it?
During the same briefing, former Agriculture Secretary Leonardo Montemayor, board chairman of the Federation of Free Farmers, said groups in opposition to RCEP would launch a campaign that would serve as a “watchdog” to RCEP commitments.
He earlier warned of a potential surge in imported agricultural products which could adversely affect the livelihood of local farmers.
DA allots ₱2.2B to boost quarantine controls for agri imports
The DA has set aside ₱2.2 billion to boost the Philippines’ border and quarantine controls ahead of an expected influx of imported agricultural goods following the effectivity of RCEP.
Sombilla told a Senate panel that the budget is ready.
Together with the Bureau of Customs, the agency is looking for areas in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao where a “cold examination facility” can be put up to facilitate processes related to sanitary and phytosanitary clearances, Sombilla said.
A number of agricultural groups had previously expressed opposition to the Philippines joining the RCEP, as they warned of a possible rise in cheaper products that could affect farmers’ earnings.
Farmer groups who joined the Senate committee hearing voiced their concern over the competitiveness of local agricultural output versus foreign inflows. They sought a “measuring stick” to gauge how RCEP will benefit the sector, including the generation of jobs.
Legarda asked the National Economic and Development Authority and the Philippine Statistics Authority to generate that data annually from June 2 this year.
CNN Philippines senior correspondent Lois Calderon contributed to this report.
