farmers in the Philippines

[OPINION] Bahay kubo, kahit munti, ang magsasaka roon ay paunti-unti

Anselmo Adriano V

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[OPINION] Bahay kubo, kahit munti, ang magsasaka roon ay paunti-unti
'Our farmers, ironically, are considered an endangered species in our agriculturally abundant country'

Reality check: the mean age of the Filipino farmer, according to the 2017 survey of the Department of Agriculture, is 60 years old ─ the very same age that Filipinos are classified as senior citizens by law. It’s unfortunate that younger generations of Filipinos take no interest in this field, which leaves the industry unstable. Without farmers, how could we possibly establish food security? 

In response to the question of food security, particularly of rice farming, the Philippine Congress enacted Republic Act 11203 — “An Act Liberalizing the Importation, Exportation, and Trading of Rice, Lifting for the Purpose the Quantitative Import Restriction on Rice, and For Other Purposes” — better known as the Rice Tariffication Law. Essentially, it is an agricultural policy that deregulates and liberalizes the rice industry and yields its supervision to the private sector. Liberalizing the importation of rice would induce lower domestic rice prices as it competes in the local market, reducing the rate of inflation.

This competition in the rice industry may be beneficial to ensure the quality and variety of products sold in the market. However, in effect, only traders and retailers have a comparative advantage. Local farmers suffer drastic losses while importers and merchants highly benefit.

Some argue that the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) bound within the same law is enough of a safety net, as it aids local rice farmers with raw materials, and logistical and technical needs. Yet, this does not make up for the insurmountable costs that local farmers still have to endure, given the low 35% tariff imposed on imported rice from ASEAN countries.

Philippine Rice Research Institute Vice President Flordelis Bordey stated that 65% of the country’s rice-producing provinces will not survive, as most farmers are not able to achieve the minimum productivity of 4 tons per hectare needed to endure the imposed tariff. In a report from the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Manila-based Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), there is an evident trend that the Rice Tariffication Law discourages Filipino farmers from sustaining and pursuing their rice farms.

These local farmers have since decided to switch to other crops as the price of locally-produced rice continues to plummet. In the absence of regulation and with a weakened control on the rice industry, the government deformed its capacity to influence and stabilize the local rice market and failed to ensure safeguards for its local farmers. 

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The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the disheartening realities of Filipino farmers even further. Due to varying provisions on community lockdowns per local government unit, access to logistical and transportation needs for farming has been limited, and the sector is also experiencing a shortage of manual labor. Raul Montemayor, National Manager of the Federation of Free Farmers, stated in an interview, “There is also a problem with farmers who are 60 years old and up and who are the only ones left farming in their family but are not allowed to go out.”

A farmer not being able to farm translates to food not being produced.

To assist low-income rice farmers, the Department of Agriculture, through the Financial Subsidy to Rice Farmers (FSRF) and Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RFFA), will be providing a one-time cash assistance worth P5,000 to farmers that tend to 0.5 to two hectares of land and are officially registered under the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA). But could this one-time amount support the needs of a small-time farmer battling economic discrimination – in a health crisis that has yet to end? 

In these unprecedented times, it is crucial to identify sectors of society that need immediate attention and aid. It is vital to acknowledge that farming communities serve as one of the prime foundations for societal balance, ensuring food security and stabilizing the food market. Consequently, public policies founded on a grassroots-participatory approach that safeguards Filipino farmers’ social and economic well-being must be enacted. The survival and sustainability of the farming population is an increasingly pressing issue that needs maximum prioritization, as the country struggles with an unpredictable state of health and economy.

Our farmers, ironically, are considered an endangered species in our agriculturally abundant country. This must be addressed, as the most sustainable way of ensuring food security is in directly investing in our own skillful forefront agents of agriculture. – Rappler.com

Anselmo Adriano V is taking up his undergraduate degree in Development Studies at the Ateneo de Manila University. He is an advocate for participatory development and social equity.

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