Reimburse farmers for P61-B income loss–Kiko

MINORITY Sen.Francis Pangilinan has prodded the Duterte administration to reimburse farmers for their P61.77billion in estimated losses from the sharp plunges in the farm-gate price of unhusked rice, as a surge of rice imports ensued with the passage of the rice trade liberalization law early this year.

“As we call for cash compensation, we repeat our demand to review the Rice Tariffication Act leading to its repeal or suspension, until government has actually done its duty to prepare them for global competition,” Pangilinan said over the weekend.

Economic managers, however, have said the law should be given enough time to take its course, as enough safeguards had been included there to offset the farmers’ losses.

The senator suggested that affected farmers “must begin receiving cash compensation now to reimburse them for what they have already lost.” Pangilinan pointed out that “the money will not only help them—and consequently help us rice consumers—continue farming, but in fact just survive.”

‘Act now’

He stressed that the crucial matter is that the government must act now. Speaking in Filipino, he added, “The poor condition of the sector that feeds us reflects aptly the saying, ‘Of what use is the grass if the horse is dead?’”

In a statement, the senator cited the case of the wife of a farmer in Nueva Ecija who now works as a domestic helper in Metro Manila. “Imagine the hardship and sacrifice she endures—a mother who left her children to care for themselves so she could augment the fur therreduced family income caused by the flood of rice imports,”said Pangilinan, adding:“The farmer’s problem is a family problem. Let’s redress the loss in farmer incomes as a true Filipino family.”

Pangilinan recalled that “since August, when we anticipated the misery that would befall our farmers, we have proposed an immediate government response.”

Now, he added, three months hence, news reports are“validating our calculations: farmers have lost at least P61.77 billion due to the continuous drop in farm-gate price of palay.” He was apparently referring to a PhilRice study providing that estimate of farmers’ income losses, as published by the BusinessMirror on November 15,“Planters lose P61.77 billion due to rice price drop.” Butch Fernandez