Statement of Sen. Cynthia Villar on PRRD's interview with Ted Failon on RTL

I thank the President for allaying the fears of our farmers and for reassuring them that Republic Act 11203 or the rice tariffication law will work for their benefit in the long run.

We are in unison that there are kinks that need to be ironed out in the initial phase of its implementation but we believe that programs under the P10 billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) will address the perennial woes in the agriculture sector and will help our farmers and fisherfolks reduce their production cost and increase their productivity and income.

As chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture and Food in the Senate, I intend to exercise our oversight function to see to it that the law is properly and faithfully implemented.