National women's alliance GABRIELA on Sunday, Oct. 15, joined the Amihan National Federation of Peasant Women at the Mendiola Peace Arch to plead for a "concrete" action from the government towards the price hike in rice.

The group said it stands alongside farmers in the "gradual collapse" of agriculture in the Philippines which is believed to be the result of rice liberalization and importation.

"Ang liberalisasyon sa bigas sa pamamagitan ng Rice Liberalization Law, napakalaking pinsala na ang idinulot sa ilalim palang ng 4 na taon (The liberalization of rice through the Rice Liberalization Law has caused enormous damage in less than 4 years)," said GABRIELA’s Secretary-General Clarice Palce.

"Dahil sa walang tigil na importasyon at pagbaha ng dayuhang suplay mula noong nilagdaan ang RLL, bumagsak ang presyo ng palay na naging sanhi naman ng pagkalugi ng mga magsasaka, pagkakabaon nila sa utang, at pagsasara ng mga plantasyon at kamalig (Due to the non-stop importation and flooding of foreign supplies since the signing of the RLL, the price of unmilled rice collapsed, which then led to farmers loss and entering deficits, drowning in debts, and their plantations and granaries being shutdown)," Palce added.

'Lower' income return to women farmers in rural areas

GABRIELA noted that the net return of income after the implementation of the Rice Liberalization Law (RLL) in 2019 had decreased.

"Ang dating average net return per hectare ng magsasaka ay nasa P32,976. Matapos ang 4 na taon ng RLL, bumagsak ito sa P19,680—40.3% ang binagsak pagkatapos ng liberalisasyon (The former average net return per hectare of farmers is about P32,976. After 4 years of RLL, this has collapsed to P19,680—a 40.3 percent fall post-liberalization)," the group said.

GABRIELA also highlighted that the women farmers received less profit especially those who are in the countryside.

"Higit ang epekto nito sa kababaihan, kung saan 43% o kaunti pa sa kalahati ang kinikita ng babae sa kanayunan," (This has an exacerbated effect on women, who earn only 43 percent compared to men in the countryside)," it added.

GABRIELA urged the government to implement agrarian programs and to distribute arable lands as they expressed concerns to farmers who do not have their farmlands. (Lizst Torres Abello)