COTABATO City – The Bangsamoro Parliament approved a resolution on Tuesday appealing to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to allow tariff-free rice imports from Sabah, exclusively for Tawi-Tawi constituents, to help reduce rice prices and address urgent food needs on the islands.
The resolution, introduced by Members of Parliament John Anthony Lim, Jose Lorena, and Nabil Tan, was a special, time-bound, humanitarian measure subject to strict oversight by national and regional governments.
They said Tawi-Tawi’s proximity to Sabah could mean lower rice prices, as staple supplies from Zamboanga City and other distant ports have pushed prices higher due to transport and logistics costs.
Rice supplies from Sabah could be a cheaper and more practical source if authorized.
Copies of the resolution will be sent to the Office of the President, concerned national agencies, and the provincial government of Tawi-Tawi for appropriate action.
Stores in 11 island municipalities of Tawi-Tawi sell rice and other merchandise from Sabah businessmen.
A merchant in Bongao said a kilo of rice procured from Zamboanga City costs PHP50 to PHP55, while rice procured from Sabah sells at PHP38 to PHP42 per kilo.
Lim, also speaker of the 80-man Bangsamoro Transition Authority, is from Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, while Tan is from Jolo town and Lorena from Siasi. (PNA)
