The Department of Agriculture (DA) has recommended to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. an increase in the tariff on imported rice, as well as the temporary suspension of rice imports to the Philippines.

The move is aimed at protecting local farmers, according to Presidential Communications Office Secretary Dave Gomez.

Members of the Cabinet will discuss the DA’s proposal with Marcos during his state visit to India.

“The Cabinet will discuss this urgent matter with the President in India, on the sidelines of his state visit,” Gomez said.

In June, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. recommended to the Tariff Commission the gradual return of the rice import duty to 35 percent from 15 percent.

Laurel also suggested the tariff hike be implemented during the harvest seasons in the Philippines’ major suppliers.

This would be in late September in Vietnam and December in Pakistan to minimize disruptions to the local market.

The tariff on imported rice was reduced to 15 percent in July 2024 to help tame rice retail prices and slow food inflation.