400 NFA employees directly affected by rice tarriffication law: official

February 19, 2019

The National Food Authority (NFA) said  Tuesday there will be job cuts in the agency due to the newly-signed Rice Tariffication Law. 

NFA Officer-in-Charge and Deputy Administrator for Finance and Administration Tomas Escarez said during an interview over dzMM  the law will "directly affect" around 400 employees under the industry regulation and operations division. 

Under the Republic Act 11203 or the Rice Import Liberalization Act  signed by President Rodrigo Duterte, NFA will no longer have administrative powers to control the procurement and entry of imported rice in the country.

The law lifts limits on rice imports. 

Instead, the NFA will only manage buffer stocks intended for calamities and emergencies.

"Most likely the rice we will buy from local farmers will last for 15 days only so it doesn't require  many employees," Escarez said. 

However, he assures employees who will be affected by the agency's manpower cut that it is planning to provide compensation. 

"[T]he NFA Council and the Department of Budget and Management promised us yesterday that there will be a compensation package for those who will lose their jobs," he explained.

"I know the sacrifice of our employees and I am sad that their perseverance for 46 years, in which they served during calamities and emergencies, will be swept aside suddenly," he added.   

The official said they support imposing tariffication in rice but they are concerned with the law's effect, especially on local farmers. He said the farmers are those that are greatly affected by the law. 

"We did not fail in explaining to the authorities. However if they think the new law will benefit more people, we will comply with it," Escarez said. 

He said the agency will continue selling NFA rice for P27 to P32 per kilo until August. Cristina Eloisa Baclig/DMS