Makinig sana kayo! May Solusyon Ang RTL, Buksan Lang Ang Isipan!

At 4:30 this morning, I took a short trip to the town of Lambayong, Sultan Kudarat, about an hour-and-a-half drive from Kidapawan City, to meet a group of rice farmers who had been asking to see me to share the hardships they faced with the Rice Tariffication Law.

The RTL was passed in 2019 and the proponents promised President Rodrigo Duterte that it would bring down the price of commercial rice in the market by P7 and boost the rice industry through the infusion of P10-B collected from tariffs every year.

Of course, kabaligtaran ang nangyari sapagkat hindi naman bumaba ang presyo ng bigas sa palengke at nalugmok ang mga magsasaka dahil bumagsak ang farm gate price mula P20 to as low as P11 to P12 per kilo.

The situation of the farmers is even made worse by the sudden increase in the price of farm inputs with Urea fertilizer now selling at over P2,000 per bag from a low of P900./

Nakausap ko ang dalawang magsasaka sa Lambayong at isinama ko sila sa interview ko sa DZRH kaninang umaga upang direktang marinig ng buong Pilipinas ang kanilang hinaing.

Tulad ng mga magsasaka na kausap ko sa Bicol two weeks ago, humihingi ng tulong ang mga magsasaka na mabigyan ng solusyon ang problemang dulot ng RTL.

Actually, kung makikinig lang sana ang mga Economic Managers na syang nagtulak ng RTL or Rice Liberalization, meron namang magagawang paraan para hindi masaktan ang mga farmers.

These solutions would still allow us to fulfill our commitments to the World Trade Organization, keep the prices of rice in the commercial market affordable to ordinary consumers while at the same time protect our local rice farmers from injuries.

Pero mukhang pinangangatawanan na ng mga RTL proponents ang kanilang paniwala na ito ang isa sa pinakamagandang legislation na naipasa ng Senado.

Hindi ako naniniwala na hindi nila naririnig ang hinaing ng mga magsasaka pero tingin ko nagbibingibingihan na lang because of pride.

For the umpteenth time, I am appealing to our Economic Managers and the members of the Senate to please open your minds and listen.

There is a way out of this problem and I, along with the other stakeholders of the rice farming sector, are willing to help review and reshape the RTL.

Sana naman makinig kayo.

#HearThePainedVoicesOfFarmers