Amid the rising prices of fuel and basic commodities, Amihan National Federation of Peasant Women urged the national government on Wednesday, March 9, to repeal the Rice Liberalization Law.
Amihan, along with rice watch group Bantay Bigas and Anakpawis Partylist, raised the alarm on the prices of palay (unhusked rice) due to continued oil price hikes.
From March 1 to 7, multiple groups recorded farm gate prices at P10 per kilo in Zambales, P12 in Pampanga and Occidental Mindoro, P15 in Nueva Ecija, P16 to P17 in Camarines Sur, Cagayan, Pangasinan, Surigao, and other provinces.
"With the rising cost of fuel and fertilizer, we call for the price of palay to be sold at P20 per kilo. Even with rice liberalization, it is the duty of the Department of Agriculture to intervene to increase the price of palay per kilo. Lower palay prices will affect the farmers, disrupting their production cycle which will affect food security and self-sufficiency," said Cathy Estavillo, secretary-general of Amihan and spokesperson of Bantay Bigas.
Estavillo reiterated calls to repeal the Rice Liberalization Law, TRAIN Law, and Oil Deregulation Law, stressing that these laws are "anti-peasant, anti-poor, and anti-Filipino.
She also urged the Congress and Senate to address the issue and approve appropriate measures for urgent aid and relief for the affected farmers, such as the P15,000 production subsidy and P10,000 social amelioration for poor families.
"We call on the broad masses, advocates, civil society groups, patriotic politicians, and others to help the peasant food security frontliners as this issue is national and affects the entire population," Estavilla said.
"We urge the public to join the call to repeal the Rice Liberalization Law, TRAIN Law, and Oil Deregulation Law," she reiterated.