The Agriculture Sector in the Philippines continues to struggle. This is aggravated by the fact that farmers and fishermen account for 70% of the poorest of the poor in the Philippines. Much to the dismay of the agriculture sector, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has turned to importation to supplement food supplies. Since 2010, the Philippines has surpassed China as the world's largest rice importer. According to reports, the Philippines imported three (3) million metric tons of rice in 2019, whereas China imported 2.6 million metric tons. The Philippines has been importing massive amounts of vegetables, pork, poultry, and even galunggong under the current regime. Meanwhile, despite criticism from local sugar farmers who say that stocks are sufficient for local consumption, the DA has approved the importation of 200,000 metric tons of sugar.

What are the short-term and long-term implications of this for the economy of the Philippines? What trade policies would you recommend for the next Administration to help the agriculture sector to have fair competition in the global market?