00:00Possibly, Agriculture Secretary Francisco T. Laurel, Jr. recommends that the prices of imported rice should gradually rise again.
00:10This is in front of the newly added review in June.
00:13According to Calihim, this is the direction they see for now.
00:17And it is better to gradually reverse this to 35% from 15% so that the market shock will not increase.
00:27As of now, the DA is recommending a tariff adjustment to the newly added review.
00:34Executive Order 62, which is to lower the tariff of imported rice by 15% in July of last year, will help in lowering the price of rice in the market.
00:47Aside from this, several programs were implemented by the DA, such as the Rice for All program,
00:52and the Php 29 per kilo of rice for the vulnerable sector so that the cheap rice will be more accessible to Filipinos.
01:03What cannot happen, and what I think should not happen, is that from 15% it will go back to 35% in one go.
01:10It is dangerous, there will be a shock in the market.
01:13This is my personal recommendation.
01:15Of course, Sekpalisakan has different views.
01:20We will deliberate on that.
01:22Sekpalisakan and I will seek a meeting with the President so that we can share our thoughts with him.
