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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,鈥� 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.鈥� In his discussion paper titled "Philippine Agriculture to 2020: Threats and Opportunities from Global Trade,鈥� 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.鈥� He said "specialization on comparative advantage鈥� is a better model than a highly conservative protectionist approach if the country is to improve its agriculture sector.