Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso on Friday, Oct. 10, welcomed the proposal of former Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel “Manny” Piñol of introducing more rice varieties in the city's markets and food programs to help Filipino farmers in the country.

During a courtesy visit to the mayor, Piñol presented the worsening situation of small farmers and cooperatives struggling to sell their harvests due to oversupply and low trader prices, saying that Filipino rice farmers are “crying and losing money” as farmgate prices plunge to as low as P8 to P10 per kilo amid a flood of imported rice in the local market.

One such example is Danilo Bolos, a former overseas Filipino worker turned Nueva Ecija farmer, who started with one hectare of land and has since expanded to 30 hectares.

Now recognized as one of the country’s top rice producers, Bolos harvests up to 17 metric tons per hectare, triple the national average of four to five metric tons. Piñol said Bolos now goes to different parts of the country to share his knowledge with other farmers.

Despite his success story, Bolos lamented the struggles of most Filipino farmers, saying that high production costs, expensive pesticides, and low buying prices have left many rice producers in debt.

As part of his efforts in helping Filipino farmers, Piñol proposed to Domagoso the integration of the "Bigas Pinoy" grains which are premium local rice varieties from Nueva Ecija, Palawan, and Mindoro, to the city's markets and city government's food initiatives, reviving a partnership established five years ago when the city purchased directly from farmers.

The mayor lauded the proposal, recalling how Manila has served as an agricultural hub connecting Luzon’s farming provinces to city markets.

“Since hindi pa ako pinapanganak, Recto is already an outlet for farmers, mga taga-Pampanga, d’yan nagbabagsak ng pakwan, singkamas, at iba pang produkto (Since before I was born, Recto is already an outlet for farmers, people from Pampanga, who sell watermelons, turnips, and other products)," Domagoso explained, adding that at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Manila kept its trading outlets open to ensure farmers could deliver their goods.

To assist farmers in finding stable markets, the mayor also directed Manila Market Administration Office Director Joey Hizon to study the farmers' proposals, including allocating stalls in city markets for local rice producers.