Elago wants more cash aid for rice farmers: P7k is just 1/3 of help they need

House Assistant Minority Floor Leader and Gabriela party-list Rep. Sarah Jane Elago on Wednesday backed the bid of rice farmers for higher financial assistance, noting that the P7,000 cash aid under the proposed 2025 national budget is just one-third of the help that they actually need.

In a press briefing, Elago underscored the need to increase the financial assistance for rice farmers amid challenges plaguing the agriculture sector, such as climate change, anomalous flood control projects, and underfunding.

“The P7,000 agricultural production subsidy per farmer should be increased to address the call of the farmers for it to reach P20,000 to P25,000. As it is, one-third pa lang po yan ang kinakailangan nila para po sila ay makapag tanim uli at makabawi sa kanilang losses,” she said.

(The P7,000 agricultural production subsidy per farmer should be increased to address the call of the farmers for it to reach P20,000 to P25,000. As it is, that is just one third of what they actually need to be able to replant and recoup their losses.)

Although the House Budget Amendments Review Committee already approved a P7 billion agricultural production subsidy for rice farmers, Elago maintained that the cash aid should be further increased.

“It should be doubled, if not tripled. Bigyan natin ng dignidad ang pagsasaka sa pamamagitan ng buong-buong supporta,” Elago said.

(It should be doubled, if not tripled. Let us restore the dignity of agriculture through all-out support for farmers.)

She added: “It is the farmers and fisherfolk who are most affected by the climate emergency, anomalous flood control projects and the underfunding of our agriculture sector. So on top of our call of setting the farmgate price of pay at P20 per kilo, we need to act with as much urgency in increasing the cash assistance for our farmers.”

On Monday, Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III announced that one million rice farmers will receive P7,000 in cash aid under the proposed P6.793 trillion national budget to help curb the impact of low farmgate prices of palay or unhusked rice.

GMA Integrated News has reached out to Dy for comment on Elago’s call and will publish his comment once it is available

In the same House hearing where Dy announced the financial assistance for rice farmers, Nueva Ecija farmer Danilo Bolos admitted that while they welcome the cash aid, government subsidies made them feel like beggars because of the low buying prices of palay.

In a separate statement on Wednesday, Dy assured that the House of Representatives will always try to heed the clamor of farmers.

He made the commitment in a meeting with farmers from Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan and Isabela led by former Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael “Ka Paeng” Mariano.

The farmers paid a courtesy visit to the Speaker’s office on Tuesday to discuss their proposals for improved crop insurance and livelihood support programs. 

“Ang nais nating isulong sa pambansang antas ay isang sistemang kumikilala, nagpoprotekta at tumutulong sa ating mga magsasaka,” Dy said.

(What we want to be implemented on a national scale is a system that protects and aid our farmers.)

Dy also vowed to amend  Republic Act No. 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law that allowed the unlimited importation of rice and ensure that it will truly serve and protect the interests of Filipino rice farmers.

“Ang gusto po namin, maibalik ang kontrol ng importasyon sa Department of Agriculture, at bigyan ng prayoridad ang pagbili ng lokal bago payagang mag-angkat. Unahin muna natin ang sariling ani bago ang imported,” Dy added.

(What we want is restore the control over importations to the Department of Agriculture, and prioritize the purchase of rice from our local farmers before we resort to importation. We should prioritize our own harvest before looking at imports.) — JMA, GMA Integrated News