Lawmakers want extra P15B for NFA to buy palay from local farmers

Mara Cepeda

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Lawmakers want extra P15B for NFA to buy palay from local farmers

Ben Nabong

The amount will be for the ‘exclusive and urgent’ procurement of at least 750,000 metric tons of palay from local farmers at the farmgate price of P20 per kilogram

MANILA, Philippines – Fifty-three lawmakers led by the progessive Makabayan bloc are seeking to provide a P15-billion supplemental budget to the National Food Authority (NFA) amid the plummeting prices of palay.  

The 53 legislators filed House Joint Resolution (HJR) No. 18 on Thursday, September 19, seeking to mandate the immediate release of an additional P15 billion to the NFA. The amount will be for the “exclusive and urgent” procurement of at least 750,000 metric tons of palay from local farmers at the farmgate price of P20 per kilogram. 

The lawmakers also want the NFA rice to be sold at P27 per kilogram to help ease the “dire impacts” of the rice tariffication law, which replaced the old import quotas with tariffs.

The House members are blaming the rice tariffication law for the sharp decline in the farmgate prices of palay, which have reportedly dropped to as low as P7 per kilo in some areas. 

The price decline is now hurting the livelihood of an estimated 2.4 million Filipino rice farmers, whom the government offered with zero-interest loans instead of conditional cash transfers. (READ: [ANALYSIS] Plummeting rice prices: How will our rice farmers cope?)

In their joint resolution, the legislators argued the P1.5-billion Expanded Survival and Recovery Asisstance Program for Rice Farmers of the Department of Agriculture (DA) would only provide zero-interest loans worth P15,000 each to 100,000 rice farmers. 

On top of this, the NFA would only be able to purchase 350,000 metric tons or about 7 million sacks of palay from local farmers at P20 per kilo farmgate price from the agency’s P7-billion budget for buffer stocking in 2019.

“The country is once again entering the harvest season of the lean second cropping. The NFA must be refueled with adequate funds so that it can procure a substantial portion from the coming harvest,” said the 53 legislators. 

HJR 18 would have the full force and effect of the law if it hurdles Congress and is signed by President Rodrigo Duterte. It would become a supplemental budget for the NFA on top of the current national budget for 2019.

Among HJR 18’s authors are several Liberal Party lawmakers who filed a separate joint resolution that would amend the rice tariffication law and allow the government to use P13.19 billion as direct cash assistance to rice farmers.

Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano also said the House is likely to realign at least P2 billion under the proposed P4.1-trillion budget for 2020 so the DA could buy more stocks from rice farmers. 

The 53 authors of HJR 18 are: 

  1. Arlene Brosas, Gabriela Women’s Party
  2. Carlos Zarate, Bayan Muna
  3. Ferdinand Gaite, Bayan Muna
  4. Eugemia Cullamat, Bayan Muna
  5. France Castro, ACT Teachers
  6. Sarah Elago, Kabataan
  7. Mark Enverga, Quezon 1st District
  8. Josephine Ramirez Sato, Occidental Mindoro
  9. Cheryl Deloso Montalla, Zambales 2nd District
  10. Argel Cabatbat, Magsasaka
  11. Jose Singson Jr, Probinsyano Ako
  12. Jose Chirstopher Belmonte, Quezon City 6th District
  13. Ma Victoria Umali, A-Teacher
  14. Joseph Stephen Paduano, Abang Lingkod
  15. Wilfredo Caminero, Cebu 2nd District
  16. Manuel Sagarbarria, Negros Oriental 2nd District
  17. Edgar Chatto, Bohol 1st District
  18. Diego Ty, Misamis Occidental 1st District
  19. Joselito Sacdalan, North Cotabato 1st District
  20. Isagani Amatong, Zamboanga del Norte 3rd District
  21. Loren Legarda, Antique
  22. Ruth Mariano Hernandez, Laguna 2nd District
  23. Resurreccion Acop, Antipolo 2nd District
  24. Dahlia Loyola, Cavite 5th District
  25. Joy Myra Tambunting, Parañaque 2nd District
  26. Josefina Tallado, Camarines Sur 1st District
  27. Ramon Nolasco Jr, Cagayan 1st District
  28. David Suarez, Quezon 2nd District
  29. Sergio Dagooc, APEC
  30. Godofredo Guya, Recoboda
  31. Irene Saulog, Kalinga
  32. Amihilda Sangcopan, Anak Mindanao
  33. Yasser Balindong, Lanao del Sur 2nd District
  34. Rashidin Matba, Tawi-tawi
  35. Alan Ecleo, Dinagat Islands
  36. Rose Marie Arenas, Pangasinan 3rd District
  37. Noel Villanueva, Tarlac 3rd District
  38. Elizaldy Co, AKO Bicol
  39. Manuel Cabochan III, Magdalo
  40. Solomon Chungalao, Ifugao
  41. Angelo Barba, Ilocos Norte 2nd District
  42. Gerardo Valmayor, Negros Occidental 1st District
  43. Julie Marie Deleon Ferrer, Negros Occidental 4th District
  44. Leo Cueva, Negros Occidental 2nd District
  45. Bienvenido Abante Jr, Manila 6th District
  46. Cristal Bagatsing, Manila 5th District
  47. Manuel Zubiri, Bukidnon 3rd District
  48. Christopher de Venecia, Pangasinan 4th District
  49. Janette Garin, Iloilo 1st District
  50. Corazon Nuñez Malanyaon, Davao Oriental 1st District
  51. Xavier Jesus Romualdo, Camiguin
  52. Junie Cua, Quirino 1st District
  53. Faustino Michael Carlos Dy III, Isabela 5th District

Rappler.com

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Mara Cepeda

Mara Cepeda specializes in stories about politics and local governance. She covers the Office of the Vice President, the Senate, and the Philippine opposition. She is a 2021 fellow of the Asia Journalism Fellowship and the Reham al-Farra Memorial Journalism Fellowship of the UN. Got tips? Email her at mara.cepeda@rappler.com or tweet @maracepeda.