IMMEDIATELY after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. last week signed legislation amending the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) and extended the implementation of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) to another six years, numerous media outlets asked for my reaction.
Will the amended law raise the productivity of our rice farmers? Will it lead to an increase in their incomes and, hopefully, uplift their economic well-being? These are valid questions because the law's objectives unequivocally state that the end-result is to improve their productivity and incomes.
