MANILA — Agriculture industry group SINAG said on Monday that the impact of US President Donald Trump's 17 percent reciprocal tariff on the Philippines has yet to be felt in the country's agricultural sector.

In a statement, SINAG Executive Director Jayson Cainglet said the Philippines is not a major agricultural exporter to the US.

"It remains to be seen yung concrete impact sa agri sector, but we are not a major export player in the livestock industry, or agriculture in general," Cainglet said in a statement.

But the group added that the country's major exports in the US are semi-processed goods like copra (dried coconut meat), coconut oil, desiccated coconut, coconut water, and canned pineapple.

"We await yung impact sa feeds and farm inputs since countries like China had imposed retaliatory tariffs sa US," he said.

"But more than these developments, Trump’s action speaks volumes in protecting domestic markets by making imported goods more expensive, thus encouraging local purchases and development of local agriculture," Cainglet said.

SINAG said the Philippines has a different direction since agricultural policies seem to be leaning toward imports and tariff reduction.

"Tariffs should not be used to kill competition but level the playing field, hindi totoong dapat zero percent tariff sa lahat, agad agad," he said.

"Twenty four years nang may impasse sa Agreement on Agriculture sa WTO precisely because countries are choosing to protect local agriculture and domestic markets against the influx of heavily subsidized agri imports," he added.

Cainglet said tariffs protect local industries, maintain market share and protect jobs in key sectors.

Meanwhile, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said the executive branch should brief lawmakers on the possible impact of the tariffs.  

"Congress and the Senate should conduct a hearing on this para maintindihan ng lahat. Alam ko very complicated ‘yan... Pero dapat maintindihan rin natin kung ano ba ang impact to sa trabaho, anong impact to sa economic growth natin, anong may impact ba ito to our currency,” he

“I will request the Committee on Trade to spearhead a hearing on this issue,” he added.  

Gatchalian said he does not think the country would go into economic recession because of the tariffs .

"Our fundamentals are strong. And then ang bansa natin is a consumer-based economy so malakas pa rin ang consumption natin. So as long as mababa yung inflation, it still remains strong. So I don't think itong tariff will affect our economic growth," he said. 

But he urged the government to be on top of the situation and brace for the potential departure of manufacturers who want to avoid tariffs.

"In the long term, baka magkaroon din ng disruption kasi baka may mga manufacturers na ililipat na lang sa US rather than dito gagawin para hindi sila maharap sa tariffs," he said.

"For example, dahil nga itong mga corporations na ito, yung iba baka lilipat ng US o yung mga nasa Vietnam, lilipat ng US. Ngayon maraming hindi natin alam kung ano yung mangyayari in the next 3 to 5 years. "

— With a report from RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News