QUEZON CITY—Farmers, sustainable agriculture practitioners and food security advocates troop anew to the Department of Agriculture (DA) to press the agency and President/Agri Secretary Bongbong Marcos Jr. to decisively address the food crisis, particularly the ever-rising food prices. 

“Food access is not just about availability or affordability of food. Farmers, fishers and food producers should control the production and the entire food system. Our single biggest challenge now for Marcos Jr. is for his administration to implement a pro-Filipino food system — impose protectionist policies on agriculture, grant full support to Filipino farmers, and do away with agricultural trade liberalization, and over-importation,” says KMP chairman emeritus Rafael Mariano, also a former partylist representative and Agrarian Reform Secretary.  

Mariano added: “World Food Day pero World Hunger Day ito sa totoong buhay dahil nakakaranas ng matinding gutom ang mamamayan pati na mga magsasakang nagtatanim ng pagkain. Dapat pakinggan ni DA Secretary Marcos Jr. ang mga kagyat na panawagan ng masa:”

1.Ibalik sa mga palengke ang NFA rice sa presyong abot-kaya ng konsyumer

2.Bilhin ang palay ng mga magsasaka sa halagang P20 kada kilo o mas mataas pa

3.Ibigay na ang Php15,000 ayuda at Rice Farmers Financial Assistance mula sa Php9-bilyon na koleksyon ng RCEF

4.Itigil ang importasyon ng bigas at parusahan ang mga smugglers ng agricultural products

5.Ibasura na ang RA 11203 at ipatupad ang Food Self-Sufficiency Act kasama ang iba pang panukalang batas na magtitiyak ng food security ng bansa

“The fight of small food producers for a just, fair, healthy, clean, and sustainable food system is the fight of every Filipino,” according to KMP chairperson Danilo Ramos.  “Mas mabilis pang tumaas ang implasyon at presyo ng pagkain kaysa sa aksyon ng DA Secretary sa krisis sa pagkain at kagutuman.”

To attain secure, safe, and affordable food for and from the Filipino people, different sectors involved in creating, distributing, and consuming food will continue to challenge Marcos Jr, the DA, and policy-makers to resolve the food crisis by addressing it in its roots. 

The response of Bongbong Marcos Jr to the food crisis, both as President and agriculture secretary, is lacking and short-sighted.

Peasant organizations, sustainable agriculture practitioners, and food security advocates will lead mobilization in front of the Department of Agriculture (DA) tomorrow to assert a Filipino food system. 

“We believe that the fight of small food producers for a just, fair, healthy, clean, and sustainable food system is the fight of every Filipino,” according to KMP chairperson Danilo Ramos.  “Mas mabilis pang tumaas ang implasyon at presyo ng pagkain kaysa sa aksyon ng DA Secretary sa krisis sa pagkain at kagutuman.”

“To attain secure, safe, and affordable food for and from the Filipino people, different sectors involved in creating, distributing, and consuming food will continue to challenge Marcos Jr, the DA, and policy-makers to resolve the food crisis by addressing it in its roots. Central to this is the main productive resource in agriculture, land,” Mariano added.

We reiterate and remain steadfast in forwarding the Filipino People’s Agenda Toward a Filipino Food System. These calls include:

1. Stop the liberalization and foreign domination on food;

2. Implement genuine land reform;

3. Achieve just prices and wages;

4. Strengthen Filipino agriculture and develop rural and national industries;

5. Fund Filipino food;

6. Ensure sufficient and immediate support in times of calamity;

7. Promote farmer-led research and development; and

8. Advance the people’s democratic rights.

To highlight the government’s sluggish action on rising food inflation, farmers and advocates brought symbols of an F1 race car and a Golden Kuhol.

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