President Rodrigo Duterte expressed his support for the passage of the Rice Tariffication Law Wednesday night, saying that it is a move for the “greater good” of the agricultural sector in the country.

“It is a move that is intended to serve the greater interest of the majority of the people,” Duterte said during a press conference in Malacanang.

To recall, the President signed the law in February this year to address rice supply shortage and soaring inflation, using rice importation as a solution, but farmers have struggled under the law, complaining that the price of palay (unhusked rice) has dropped to P7 to P11 a kilo due to a cheap rice imports deluge.

Under the law, the government is mandated to allot P10 billion to aid farmers, P5 billion of which should go to the mechanization of rice farming, P3 billion to the distribution of inbred rice seeds, P1 billion to credit for farmers and another P1 billion for their skills development.