Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Thursday, July 24, called for urgent reforms in government procurement policies to allow farmers to sell rice directly to national agencies and local government units (LGUs).

Pangilinan lamented that under the current system, traders are favored over producers, depriving farmers of fair income.

“It’s time we ask the hard question: Why can’t our government buy rice straight from our farmers?” Pangilinan asked.

“Why are we forcing them to go through layers of bureaucracy that benefit middlemen but leave our food producers in poverty?” he pointed out.

As principal sponsor of the Sagip Saka Act or Republic Act 11321, Pangilinan emphasized that the law already allows direct procurement from accredited farmers’ cooperatives and associations.

But the Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB) has restrictive interpretations of procurement rules, thus, slowing its implementation.

“These rules are supposed to prevent corruption, but what they’re preventing is progress. They’re keeping government money from going straight to the people who grow our food,” he lamented.

“Instead of empowering farmers, the current system empowers traders,” he said.

Pangilinan urged the GPPB to review and revise its policies to enable government agencies to directly source food from farmers and fisherfol without public bidding, under specific conditions, without diverting from the intent of the law.

Under existing GPPB guidelines, farmers must comply with stringent documentation, accreditation, and bidding requirements—barriers that most small-scale producers cannot meet.

As a result, government procurement of rice for feeding programs, calamity response, and other needs often ends up in the hands of large private suppliers.

“Gutom ang isinusugal dito. Sa bawat araw na hindi natin binibili direkta sa mga magsasaka, talo ang mga pamilyang umaasa sa palay at talo rin ang pamilyang umaasa sa murang bigas (Hunger is at stake here. Every day that we don’t buy directly from farmers, families who depend on palay lose and families who depend on cheap rice lose),” he warned.

“Walang kulay ang gutom. Kung totoo tayong nagseserbisyo, dapat diretso ang tulong sa nagtatanim, hindi sa nagkakalakal (Hunger has no color. If we are truly providing service, aid should go directly to the growers, not to the traders),” he said.

Pangilinan reiterated the law is already in place and the will of Congress is clear.

“What we need now is action from implementing agencies. If we truly want food security and rural development, then we must make it easier—not harder—for government to buy from our own farmers,” Pangilinan said.