House Speaker Martin Romualdez (left), President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (Speaker’s office)

House Speaker Martin Romualdez has hailed President Marcos' move of raising the farm gate or buying price of palay (unhusked rice), saying it shows the latter's compassion for local farmers. 

“This shows the malasakit (compassion) our President has towards our farmers who have been working very hard for us to achieve food security. We should always take care of them,” Romaildez said in a statement Tuesday, Sept. 19.

“Our farmers have been the ones giving us food on our tables. So, let’s give them the respect that they truly deserve. That is why our President still sits as Agriculture Secretary in a concurrent capacity,” underscored the leader of the 311-member House of Representatives,  

The National Food Authority (NFA) Council, whose chairman is also Marcos himself, had set the buying price at P19 to P23 per kilo for dry palay and P16 to P19 per kilo for wet palay at the farm gate level, so as to give farmers more leeway for profits. 

The new palay buying price is seen to balance the profit of farmers and not affect retail prices of rice in the market. The Department of Agriculture (DA) declared it is ready to support the NFA Council with a P15 billion allocation for the procurement of unhusked rice. 

“The President wants to make sure our local prices are stable, regardless of what happens in the world market. Our priority should be our own. Of course, we prefer our local supply compared to imported rice. We should import only those what we need. Self-sufficiency should be key,” Romualdez said.

The Speaker has also called for the consolidation of support for Filipino farmers to enable them to produce more rice. This will help the country reduce--and eventually do away--with its need for rice importation. 

He said rice importation fattens the pockets of foreign rice producers, while hurting Filipino farmers.

Instead of depending on rice imports, Romualdez said the country should address issues related to production, supply, funding, marketing, infrastructure, irrigation, and technology. 

“We must prioritize strengthening the resilience and growth of our farmers. This means investing significantly in them by providing them advanced training, the latest technology, and modern infrastructure, all of which can uplift our farming community and make them more competitive with enhanced yields,” the Leyte 1st district congressman 

“Furthermore, providing accessible financial schemes, such as low-interest loans and grants, can empower our farmers to innovate and scale up their operations. Facilitating direct market access, eliminating the middlemen, ensures that our farmers receive better prices for their produce while consumers benefit from affordability,” he said.