Benhur Abalos (left), Manny Pacquiao (Facebook)

Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial candidates Benhur Abalos and Manny Pacquiao have reiterated their intention to fight for the welfare of Filipino farmers in case they win in upcoming mid-term polls.

In pledging his full support for local farmers, Abalos renewed his call to amend the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) and restore the National Food Authority’s (NFA) critical role in the country’s rice supply system.

"Ang laban ng magsasaka ay laban din ng bawat Pilipino. Kung maayos ang presyo ng palay, maayos din ang presyo ng bigas sa ating mga hapag. Hindi pwedeng isa lang ang iniintindi—kailangan sabay ang suporta sa magsasaka at sa mamimili," Abalos said in recent consultations with farmers, NFA officials, and local leaders.

(The struggle of the farmers is also the struggle of every Filipino. If the price of palay is fair, then the price of rice on our tables will be fair too. It cannot be one-sided—we must simultaneously support both the farmers and the consumers.)

Abalos emphasized that the weakening of the NFA under the 2019 law has left farmers vulnerable to price fluctuations and consumers exposed to higher costs and lower quality rice.

"Before, the NFA was allowed to directly sell rice to the public to keep supply and prices stable," noted the former Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary.

"But since the [RTL] was passed, the NFA’s role has been reduced to mere buffer stocking for calamities and emergencies. It no longer has the power to intervene in prices or regulate the market like it used to," said the former Mandaluyong City mayor.

Pacquiao, for his part, says that "empowering our farmers is empowering the entire nation."

"Food security must not just be a campaign slogan it should be a national mission," reckoned the boxing legend-turned-poltician.

Pacquiao stressed the urgent need to lower the cost of rice for millions of Filipino families and correct what he described as the "imbalances" created by the liberalized importation of rice under the RTL.

“Rice is life for the Filipino people. We must act now to bring down rice prices and protect the livelihood of our farmers. If we want a truly strong and secure Philippines, we must empower those who feed our nation." said the former senator from Mindanao.

Pacquiao is proposing a comprehensive "Production-Distribution-Consumption" (PDC) initiative aimed at lowering rice prices, increasing farmers' incomes, and ensuring food security.

Via the PDC, Pacquiao envisions increased government investment in rice production through subsidies, irrigation, and access to modern technology; reform of distribution systems by cutting out middlemen and establishing more direct farm-to-market routes; and consumer protection via price monitoring and bolstered NFA buffer stocks to stabilize prices during supply shocks.

The mid-term elections will take place on May 12.