Voting 231-3-1, lawmakers approved amendments to RA 8178, which include giving the National Food Authority the temporary authority to stabilize the price and supply of rice during food security emergencies as granted by the secretary of the Department of Agriculture .
The fund allocation will now be divided as follows: 53.5 percent for farm mechanization, 29.7 percent for seed components, 3.3 percent for training, 6 percent for rice credit assistance, 4 percent for soil management, 2 percent for pest management, and 1.5 percent for the Rice Industry Development Project Management Office .
According to Romualdez, the amendment to the RTL is not merely a policy adjustment, as it represents a firm commitment to bolstering the rice sector. Meanwhile, lawmakers urged the Senate to seize the opportunity to help ease the burden on Filipinos grappling with high rice prices by passing the proposed amendments to the RTL.