Senatorial candidate Kiko Pangilinan is hopeful that the Sagip Saka Act would bring more revenues to farmers and fisherfolk as more local government units (LGUs) are agreeing to buy directly from farmers.
“At kung ganito ang mangyayari sa lahat ng LGU sa Pilipinas, didirekta sa ating mga magsasaka at mangingisda, tataas na ang kita, mae-enganyo na magtanim pa dahil alam natin kapag hindi tama ang presyo, bakit magtatanim pa ang ating mga magsasaka (And if all LGU in the Philippines directly buy from our farmers and fisherflok, their income will increase, they will be motivated to continue planting because we know that when the price is not right, why would they keep planting),” Pangilinan said on Wednesday, March 26.
If LGUs continue to buy directly from farmers, Filipino families' access to quality and affordable produce is ensured.
According to Pangilinan, Sagip Saka Act does not only allow the government to directly purchase food items from farmers and fisherfolk without public bidding, it also exempts it from the procurement law, leading to billions of pesos worth in savings.
For farmers and fisherfolk, government purchase brings more revenue seeing as the national and local government are the biggest consumer of food items in the country.
“Bibilhin ng gobyerno sa tamang presyo at pag binili sa tamang presyo, makakatipid ang gobyerno dahil bawas patong ng middleman pero tataas naman ang kita rin ng ating mga magsasaka (The government buys it at the right price and if it is bought at the right price, the government is able to save and avoid other cost imposed by middleman, but the income of our farmers will increase),” Pangilinan said.
During his meet-and-greet with his volunteers in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija, the former food security secretary shared the role that the province played in the creation and passing of the Sagip Saka Act.
Pangilinan called Nueva Ecija province the birthplace of his landmark law.
“At dahil sa San Jose City, Nueva Ecija, naipasa natin (ang Sagip Saka Act). Naging inspirasyon ang Kalasag farmers ang Sagip Saka (Because of San Jose City, Nueva Ecija, we were able to pass the Sagip Saka Act),” he told volunteers, referring to the Kalasag Farmers Producers Cooperative, one of the very first beneficiaries of the Sagip Saka Act.
He also lamented allegations that he had done nothing in his three terms in the Senate, sharing that he had worked with the Kalasag farmers since 2011.
San Jose City was one of the beneficiaries of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed in 2012 by Pangilinan and the Jollibee Foundation, Inc. to provide P11.8 million worth of assistance to agricultural communities in eight provinces under his Sagip Saka advocacy program.
The funds were used to provide post-harvest facilities, agricultural equipment, and other forms of assistance to increase the productivity and income of farmers.
“Matagal na po tayong tumutulong, may resibo, may track record (We have long been helping, we have receipts, we have a track record),” the former senator stressed.