Today, rice farmers in my hometown, a major rice production area, will be staging a peaceful protest rally to bring to the attention of government their sufferings as farm gate prices of paddy rice dropped from a high of P22 in 2018 to only P11 today.
The farmers wrote me a letter asking me to join them because of my publicized critical position against “unimpeded importation of rice.”
Out of delicadeza, I declined the invitation even if I feel their pain and share their views.
Top Agriculture officials, including a Senator from Mindanao, had previously complained about my deep involvement with Agriculture even after I had moved from the Dept. of Agriculture to the smaller agency, the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA).
Para malinaw ang isyung ito, let me point out two things:
1. Agriculture and Fisheries are the backbone of Mindanao’s economy and since MinDA’s mandate is to oversee the socio-economic development of the region, our involvement in Agriculture and Fisheries policy advocacies is a given.
Imagine Mindanao without Agriculture and Fisheries.
When Mindanao farmers and fishermen are adversely affected by policies of government, the region’s economy suffers a slump and our recovery efforts Post-COVID 19 will be stunted.
2. On a personal basis, nobody could stop me from talking about Agriculture because I am a farmer, as was my father, my grandfather and my ancestors. In fact, my grandfather, Jose, left Iloilo before the war to work as a “sacada” in Cotabato.
Asking me not to talk about Agriculture is like telling a defrocked priest not to talk about God and not to pray in public. The pain and cries of the farmers are my sufferings too. I am them.
3. The contention that since we work with this administration, we are obliged not to question policies and even legislations passed is an absolute fallacy.
I believe otherwise.
As members of this administration, and in my case, as an ardent and loyal supporter of President Rody Duterte who worked and campaigned hard for his victory in 2016, it is our moral obligation to point out wrong policies and flawed legislations.
I am protecting My President because I know that deep in his heart, he loves the Filipino farmers.
Long before he agreed to run for President, we talked lengthily about Agriculture in this country and what is happening now is the exact opposite of what he and I dreamed of.
With these premises established, let me discuss the controversial Rice Tariffication Law or the Rice Liberalization Law.
1. The Rice Liberalization Law passed by the Senate is a flawed legislation.
There were two versions of the Bill, actually. The Lower House version which was the result of a national consultations which started in the last few years of the Aquino Presidency and continued in my first few years as Secretary of Agriculture.
The Senate version which supplanted the Lower House Bill just came out of nowhere and farmers groups were not even consulted or, even if they were asked to appear in hearings, were not listened to.
2. Those asking for the review of the RTL as it is now are not against the Rice Tariffication Policy because this was really bound to be implemented as part of our commitment to the World Trade Organization.
Accusing critics of the RTL as anti-progress is an arrogant attempt to brush aside voices of reason.
3. The Rice Liberalization Law in its present form is hurting millions of farming families and many others whose livelihood depends on the industry, from the farm worker to the kargador to the truck driver.
Yes, the country has a rice production shortfall which could have been addressed had our recommendations been considered and we need to import to fill that need.
However, opening the floodgates to drown the country with imported rice on the supposition that it will address inflation is simply a shortsighted perception of the importance of the Philippine rice industry to the country’s economy.
What is being asked is not the repeal of the RTL but a review so that it could be improved.
To refuse and reject this appeal would be the height of arrogance and tyranny even.
Let us hear the cries of our farmers.
#HearTheCriesOfFarmers!
#LawsToProtectPeople!
(Photos of farmers working in the ricefields of my hometown, Mlang, were taken by the MinDA Media team.)
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