Rice farmer amid low farmgate prices, cash aid: We're like beggars

Rice farmers, who feed the nation, are reduced to being beggars as far as farmer Danilo Bolos of Nueva Ecija is concerned.

Bolos lamented on Monday the plight of farmers during the House hearing jointly conducted by the Committee on Agriculture and Food and the Committee on Ways and Means on the status of Executive Order (EO) 93.

EO 93 suspended the importation of regular milled and well-milled rice for 60 days, a measure that took effect last September 1.

“Sadyang malungkot po ‘yung inaabot namin. Kaunti na lang po ‘yung kinikita, nalulugi po. Ramdam naman po namin lahat ‘yung ayuda na nanggagaling sa pamahalaan, tulad po nung binhi, iyon pong fertilizer, 'yung pong mga farm mechanization. Subalit, nagtataka po kami. Bilyon-bilyon ang ginagastos ng pamahalaan subalit, tuwing aani po kami, hindi naman po namin maramdaman ‘yung mga ipinamahagi ng pamahalaan," Bolos said.

(We are in dire straits. We hardly earn and we incur losses. We have received the assistance given by the government such as seeds, fertilizers, farm mechanization. However, we are wondering why despite the billions of pesos spent by the government, during harvest time, we do not feel that these steps are of help to us.)

"Ang presyo ng palay, andito po talaga iyong pagdurusa namin,” Bolos told lawmakers minutes after  Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III announced during the same hearing that a P7,000 cash aid will be made available to one million farmers under the proposed P6.7 trillion budget for 2026.

(Our suffering is due to the price of palay.)

“Bagamat kumakain po kami ng tatlong beses sa isang araw, e hindi naman po sapat 'yung aming kinikita. Papaano na po iyong pag-aaral ng aming mga anak? Kaya sana po... Tulad nang nabanggit po kanina ni Speaker na magbibigay na naman po ng ayuda na halagang P7,000. E ang nangyayari po, para kaming pulubi. ‘Yung ayuda, hindi naman po talagang sapat para kami umahon. Ang mahalaga po sa amin talaga ay 'yung presyo lang ng palay, ‘yung aming produkto,” Bolos added.

(Yes, we eat three times a day, but we don’t earn enough. How can we send our children to school? The Speaker said we will be given a cash aid of P7,000. But what is happening is that we are like beggars. The cash aid is not enough to lift us up. What really matters to us is the price of palay, our produce.)

Bolos said that in Nueva Ecija, farmgate prices of palay are just at P8 to P10 per kilo, way over their expenses for rice production cost at P14 to P15 per kilo.

He then went on to lambast the Rice Tariffication Law or Republic Act (RA) 11203, a measure passed in 2019 which allowed unlimited entry of imported rice until President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. issued EO 93.

Bolos said the unabated entry of imported rice plagued them so much that children of farmers dropped out of school just to help their parents in planting rice and making a living.

“Wala po talaga kaming ibang alam kundi itong pagtatanim ng palay o paggawa ng ating mga pagkain. Sana po, sa ganitong pagkakataon... tulad po 'yung RA 11203 po na ‘yan, iyan po ang sadyang nagpahirap sa amin. Marami na po sa mga kasamahan namin, iyong mga anak hindi na po nakapag-aral. Sila na po ang tumutulong sa magulang upang magsaka. Subalit, andun pa rin ang paghihirap,” Bolos said.

(We don’t know any other job except planting rice or producing food. We hope that in this instance... Take RA 11203. It really brought us down. Many among us had children who had to stop schooling. They are the ones helping their parents in farming. However, there is still hardship.)

“Umaalis na rin po ‘yung bata na amin sanang katuwang sa pagsasaka. Wala na rin po, umaalis na rin dahil nga sa sobrang hirap namin, sobrang hirap ng mga magulang. Sana po, sa pamamagitan ng hearing po na ito, mawakasan po sana ang aming paghihirap,” Bolos added.

(Even our children are walking away from farming. They are leaving because we are in poverty, and the parents are having a hard time. We hope that through this hearing, our hardship will end.)

Bolos then pushed for the implementation of a floor price or price cap for palay, which the government is already considering to implement at P17 per kilo.

“Sa sobrang mahal po ng mga inputs, ng mga pestisidyo, hindi po talaga masusulit. Nangungutang po kami. Ang tubo po kada buwan, 3% kada buwan. Hindi naman po namin puwedeng asahan nang asahan itong mga lending conduit sa ating mga pamahalaan at napakahirap pong umutang dito. Ang dami pong hinahanap na kung anu-anong dokumento na para po kami makautang,” Bolos pointed out.

(Since farm inputs and pesticides are expensive, [our capital] is not enough. We incur debts at 3% interest rate monthly. We cannot depend on government lending institutions because it is so hard to apply for a loan. There is so much paperwork needed just to secure a loan.)

“Sana po, pakiusap lang po sa inyo, Mr. Speaker, sana po, maisabatas na para naman umunlad ang buhay namin, ‘yung sinasabi nilang floor price [of palay]. Sana po matupad na po ito,” Bolos added.

(Please, we appeal to you, Mr. Speaker, so that our lives will improve, I hope the proposed floor price for palay will be implemented via a law.)

In response, Dy apologized for the insufficient government response and assured the farmers of prioritizing their needs going forward.

“Unang-una po ay humihingi kami ng paumanhin. Ang kagustuhan lamang po ng ating gobyerno ay matugunan ang mga pangangailangan ng ating mga farmers. Pero hindi po naman nangangahulugan na mababa po ang aming pagtingin sa inyo,” Dy, who hails from the rice-producing province of Isabela, said in a cracked voice.

(First of all, we apologize. Our government just wants to tide you over given the situation, but it does not mean that we think little of you.)

“Mataas po ang respeto namin sa inyo. Kung wala po 'yung masisipag nating farmers, hindi mabubuhay ang ating bansang Pilipinas. Kayo po ‘yung nagsasakripisyo. Kaya sa amin pong lalawigan ay tinuturing po namin kayo bilang mga magulang namin, dahil kayo po 'yung nagpapakain sa amin. Kaya mabuhay po kayo,” Dy added.

(We have high respect for farmers like you. Without our hardworking farmers, the Philippines won’t be able to survive. You sacrifice a lot. In our province, we treat you as our parents because you are the ones who feed us. You have our admiration.)

Dy said moving forward, the House will make sure that the needs of farmers are met, not only under the programs implemented by the Department of Agriculture but through legislation and other policies as well.

“Gagawin po namin ang lahat para matiyak na ang kapakanan ng bawat farmers dito po sa ating bansa, hindi lamang po sa larangan ng mga programa na hinahatid ng ating Department of Agriculture, kundi lalong-lalo na mapataas natin at maging maganda at maginhawa ang buhay ng bawat magsasaka,” Dy added.

(We will do everything we can to make sure your welfare is taken care of not just through the programs of the Department of Agriculture but even in other ways so we can improve the farmers’ quality of life.)

House Committee on Agriculture and Food chairperson and Quezon Representative Mark Enverga, for his part, said the House will prioritize the amendment of the Rice Tariffication Law to protect local farmers from unabated importation of rice. —KG, GMA Integrated News