Senate must hear agri sector before agreeing to RCEP ratification —Pimentel

While he supports the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III said the chamber must hear the position of the agriculture sector before concurring with its ratification.

"I still support RCEP but bigyan natin ng tamang panahon ang mga may tutol sa RCEP magsalita. Bakit? Galing ito sa larangan ng ating mga magsasaka at mangingisda,"  Pimentel, who sponsored the RCEP during the 18th Congress as chairperson of the Senate foreign relations committee, said in an interview.

(Let us allocate the proper time to let those against the RCEP speak. Why? Because they are from the ranks of our farmers and fishermen.)

"Ang problema ngayon is mas naghirap pa ang situation ng ating magsasaka at mangingisda... So dati rati na nga na mas maganda pa siguro sitwasyon nila a year ago against na sila at dapat nating pakinggan ano ang mga reklamo nila o angal nila, all the more now. Kasi mas sumama ang sitwasyon e na imported na halos lahat ng ating kinakain e," he added.

(The problem is the situation of our farmers and fishermen is even more difficult now...So even back then when their situation was better they were already against it, so we should listen to their concerns even more now. Because their situation is even harder now and almost everything we're eating is imported.)

He then suggested the Department of Agriculture (DA) take the implementation of its programs seriously as a concession to the farmers who are opposing the ratification of the RCEP.

"Pagdating sa treaty kasi [it's either] approved or disapproved. Hindi natin mababago ang pananalita sa treaty. Kailangan siguro seryosohin ng gobyerno yung pagbibigay ng concession sa ating mga magsasaka at mangingisda through the DA," he said.

(When it comes to the treaty it's either approved or disapproved. We will not be able to change the wording of the treaty. The government should seriously take into consideration giving concessions to our farmers and fishermen through the DA.)

"Hindi lang sa paglatag ng budget [kundi] seryosong implementation na mararamdaman ng ating mga magsasaka at mangingisda," he added.

(Not just in creating a budget but in serious implementations that will be felt by our farmers and fishermen.)

The RCEP is a free trade agreement first floated in August 2012, covering members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its partners Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand.

It was approved by the previous administration in September last year and brought to the Senate for concurrence.

The RCEP would cover 50% of the global manufacturing output; 50% of the global automotive output; 70% of electronics; 26% of the global value chain (GVC) trade volume; 60% GVC for electrical/machinery, petroleum/chemicals, textiles/apparel, metal, and transport equipment, 35% of the contribution to global exports of electronics and machineries; and the main GVC hubs of big economies such as South Korea, Japan, and China.

Last week, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) released a statement indicating that President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr is pushing for the ratification of the free trade agreement.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said last Tuesday that the Senate has yet to ratify RCEP due to Senator Imee Marcos' concerns on its effect on the agriculture sector.

Senator Marcos, the President's sister, chairs the Senate foreign relations committee which is in charge of deliberating all agreements and treaties that need to be ratified.

According to Zubiri, Senator Marcos wants to conduct another hearing on the matter. Last December, she called for the establishment of a technical working group to produce a committee report on the ratification of the RCEP.

On Wednesday, the Senate created a subcommittee on RCEP which will be chaired by Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda. — BM, GMA Integrated News