Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Sunday, October 12 called on the administration to issue an executive order (EO) to establish a floor price for palay (unmilled rice).

Pangilinan said this measure would apply to all government purchases and align with the full implementation of the Sagip Saka Act (Republic Act No. 11321), to ensure that farmers receive fair compensation for their hard work, especially in light of declining farmgate prices.

“When palay is being bought at only ₱8 to ₱10 per kilo while it costs farmers ₱14 to ₱15 to produce it, no amount of aid will make up for their losses,” Pangilinan said.

Pangilinan insists the country’s farmers don’t need charity but a fair price for the fruits of their labor.

“That’s why a floor price is what we have been calling for, so that the people who feed us may have a fighting chance,” said Pangilinan, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform chairman.

The senator made the call after Danilo Bolos, a rice farmer from Nueva Ecija told a House of Representatives’ hearing that what rice farmers need is higher buying prices for palay, not another wave of cash assistance.

Bolos also told House lawmakers that the practice of providing them aid makes it seem that they are beggars.

Pangilinan stressed an EO would be proof that the government is listening to the concerns of our farmers, and we appreciate their hard work.

“Our rice farmers will have some breathing space with the floor price. They will have some protection from traders who capitalize on their desperation. This is one of the many steps so that our rice farmers will rise from subsistence to abundance agriculture,” he said.

Likewise, the lawmaker said that a floor price will stabilize the market, protect farmers from exploitative traders, and encourage continued rice production.