Malacañang has issued Executive Order No. 105, extending the 15% tariff on imported rice until December 31, 2025, in a move aimed at stabilizing domestic rice prices and protecting local farmers. The order also establishes a new Inter-Agency Group on Rice Tariff Adjustment (GRTA) to oversee future changes in rice import duties.

Signed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., EO 105 maintains the current Most Favored Nation (MFN) rates for both in-quota and out-quota rice imports. Starting January 1, 2026, these rates will become flexible, adjusting in response to international rice price movements. Tariffs may increase or decrease by 5 percentage points for every 5% change in global rice prices, but will remain within a 15% to 35% range.

The newly formed GRTA includes representatives from key economic and agricultural agencies, including the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development, Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Finance, and the Office of the Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs. The group is tasked with setting guidelines, monitoring price thresholds, and recommending tariff adjustments.

The directive draws legal authority from the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (RA 10863) and the Agricultural Tariffication Act (RA 8178), which empower the President to revise import duties in the interest of national welfare and trade policy.

This policy shift comes amid ongoing efforts to balance food security, inflation control, and support for Filipino rice farmers.