THE Bantay Bigas, a rice watch group, and the Amihan or National Federation of Peasant Women dared the National Food Authority (NFA) Council members to sell P27 per kilogram of rice in the markets affordable to millions of poor consumers.
This after the finalization of Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 11023 Rice Liberalization Law.
“Hinahamon namin ang NFA Council na magbenta ng P27 kada kilo ng bigas sa mga palengke at hindi imported at commercial na bigas. (We challenge the NFA Council to sell P27 kilo of rice and not imported and commercial rice in markets,” said by Cathy Estavillo, Bantay Bigas spokesperson and Amihan secretary-general.
The two groups said that the Rice Liberalization Law is not the solution to affordable rice. They claimed that it will actually destroy the country’s self-sufficiency and self-reliance for food.
“Nitong nakaraang taon, Pebrero pa lang sinasabi na ng NFA Council na walang stock ng bigas at kailangang mag-import. Ngayong 2019, ang stock ng bigas sa NFA ay hanggang Agosto na lang, ibig sabihin, sa bisa ng RA 11023, ‘goodbye’ na sa pagpapataas ng lokal na produksyon. (Last year, it was only February and the NFA Council was already saying there were no stocks of rice and there was a need to import it. Now, in 2019, the stock of NFA will last only until August which means goodbye to increasing local production with RA 11023),” Estavillo said.
Bantay Bigas and Amihan claimed that more than 10 million Filipinos would suffer hunger and poverty if the RA 11023 is fully implemented.
“Wala na tayong makikitang mahabang pila sa mga NFA stalls sa mga palengke dahil wala nang available na NFA rice. Pwersado ang mamamayan na bumili ng imported at commercial rice. (We will no longer see long lines in NFA stalls in markets because of inavailablity. People will be forced to buy imported and commercial rice),” Estavillo added.
The peasant women group Amihan together with Bantay Bigas, Anakpawis Partylist and NFA Employees Association will conduct a “Women’s March against Rice Liberalization” on March 8 in observance of Women’s Month.
The protest will highlight the junking of Rice Liberalization Act and pushing for the enactment of HB 8512 Rice Industry Development Act.