A farmers organization is concerned about the government’s plan of selling “aging but good rice” in Kadiwa stores starting next month, saying it would not offer long-term solutions to the increasing price of rice and other essentials.
The latest report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) revealed that Western Visayas is the most affected region with P687.7 million ($12.3M) in agricultural damage, followed by Mimaropa, Cagayan Valley, Ilocos, Calabarzon, and Zamboanga peninsula.
“If Marcos Jr., as the president of the country and a former head of this department, didn’t resolve the agriculture and food crisis, now, he appointed an oligarch.”
“Local supply can definitely cover the needed buffer stocking without the need for importation. The National Food Authority should have strong political will to do this.”
It has been nearly five months since Marcos Jr. was inaugurated as president but the Department of Health and the Department of Agriculture have yet to have full-time secretaries.
Farmers said Marcos Jr’s decision to give priority to debt servicing and infrastructure during this period of worsening food crisis is telling of what’s in store for Filipinos in the next six years.
“DA stands for Department of Agriculture, not Department of Importation. The agency’s primary focus should be the strengthening of the domestic agriculture and fisheries sectors.”
“We (IPs) protect the ancestral lands against mining and plantation companies because we ourselves are dependent on those lands for food security.”
In both dialogues, many questions were left unanswered and many concerns were left hanging. What cannot be ignored, however, is the reality that the farmers’ plight is always anchored on one unanswered call: genuine agrarian reform.
“We were hoping that Sec. Piñol would face us and hear out our demands but it turned out that he has snubbed us and disregarded our demands.”
“For the longest time, this has been the call of farmers, who have received (little to no support) from previous department administrations.”