BURDEN TO THE POOR: Dr. Roehlano Briones, a senior economist working with the government think-tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies, pointed out in a recent paper that rice self-sufficiency must not be at the expense of food security. "The goal of rice self-sufficiency is noble, but it cannot be equated to zero importation,” he said. "With the continuous demand for food staples, particularly rice, as a result of a steadily increasing population, the government should maintain a practical stand to achieving food security.” In his discussion paper titled "Philippine Agriculture to 2020: Threats and Opportunities from Global Trade,” Briones said the strategy of curtailing imports has resulted in substantial price increases for most agricultural products, thus presenting "a substantial burden to the poor.” He said "specialization on comparative advantage” is a better model than a highly conservative protectionist approach if the country is to improve its agriculture sector.
