“Sa inaasahang pagbaba ng presyo ng imported na bigas dahil sa pagbaba ng taripa, sana ay bigyang proteksyon ng pamahalaan ang ating mga maliliit na magsasaka, dahil ang maliit nilang kinikita ay baka mabawasan pa at di kayanin ang kompetisyon sa merkado.”

This was the assertion made by Deputy Minority Leader and Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman today, as he called on the government to increase the financial subsidy to the country’s three million farmers with the planned reduction of the tariff on rice from 35% to 15% to bring down the price of rice to P29 a kilo.

“Kapag bumaba ang presyo ng bigas sa merkado, baka hindi na makasabay ang ating mga magsasaka. Kung matutupad ang target ng ating gobyerno na pababain ang presyo ng bigas sa P29 per kilo, baka di na makabenta ang ating mga rice farmers,” Hataman, a former governor of the now-defunct ARMM, said.

Hataman said that his office is seriously studying the filing of a bill seeking enhanced protection and more subsidies for Filipino farmers.

He noted that with farmgate prices of palay averaging at P25.21 in February of this year, Filipino rice farmers cannot stand against the price of imported rice in the market once the tariff reduction takes place.

“With this, I call on the government to increase financial subsidies to our rice farmers. Isama din sana sila sa mga ayuda ng pamahalaan at iba pang programa para sa mahirap. We are an agricultural country with a slowly dwindling farmer population. Hindi naman pwedeng umasa tayo sa rice imports na lang,” he added.

He also said NFA should only buy from local farmers in the event that it re-acquires its mandate to offer cheaper rice when amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law are enacted into law.

“Hiling din natin sa kasalukuyang administrasyon, i-prioritize natin ang ating rice farmers kapag bumibili ng bigas ang pamahalaan. This should be a matter of national policy,” Hataman stressed.

The Basilan lawmaker is asking the administration of President Bongbong Marcos Jr. to include more farmers in its financial assistance programs such as those under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), like the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) and the Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP).

“Ang hiling natin, isama na ang ating magsasaka sa mga ayuda na labas sa mga programa ng Department of Agriculture, dahil malaking tulong ang kanilang kakailanganin para makipagkumpetensya sa merkado,” Hataman expressed.

“At habang ginagawa natin ito, sana ay paigtingin ng pamahalaan ang competitiveness programs nito para sa ating mga rice farmers sa pamamagitan ng teknolohiya at mas murang paraan ng pagsasaka para sa long-term na solusyon sa ating problems sa food security,” he continued.

Hataman said the DA has a list of qualified farmers for government subsidies that it can use to target deserving beneficiaries in other social welfare programs of the government.