[Black Friday Protest] Farmers and land rights advocates once again take to the streets

[Black Friday Protest] Farmers and land rights advocates once again take to the streets for a Black Friday protest, continuing the wave of nationwide outrage ignited by the September 21 Luneta rally against corruption. Today’s action at Litex Market shines a spotlight on another pressing issue gripping the countryside: the plummeting palay prices and the ongoing devastation caused by the Rice Liberalization Law (RLL).

Under the Marcos Jr. administration, corruption and neglect remain inseparable from the worsening crisis in agriculture. While billions are lost to anomalous infrastructure projects and bureaucratic kickbacks, farmers receive low palay prices, as low a P6 per kilo which is far below the cost of production. The Department of Agriculture has also been exposed to be involved in the construction of heavily overpriced Farm-To-Market roads. In effect, corruption impedes and hampers in the recovery of local agriculture. The Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), which is a stipulation of RLL, also comes into questionable spending and has not presented clear implementation of uplifting the rice industry.

The Rice Liberalization Law enacted in 2019, opened the floodgates to cheap imported rice, forcing local producers to compete with foreign traders and leaving millions in debt. Instead of bolstering the sector, it bankrupted small farmers, weakened food sovereignty, and deepened rural poverty. Six years on, the results are undeniable: lower farmgate prices, widespread land dispossession, and a country increasingly dependent on imports for its staple food.

The call is clear and urgent: junk the Rice Liberalization Law now. We urge the public to take a stand: sign the national petition to repeal the Rice Liberalization Law and support the enactment of the Rice Industry Development Act (RIDA), which seeks to rebuild the nation’s rice industry through state procurement, subsidies, and genuine support for local producers.

Sign the petition now: https://tinyurl.com/bs8uu8cj