ANGELES CITY – Thanks, but no thanks.
Farmers have thumbed down the P5,000 grant being offered by the Department of Agriculture (DA) to 600,000 rice farmers in the country from the proceeds of taxes on imported rice under the Rice Liberalization Law.
The farmers instead want the law scrapped, no more, no less.
“We understand the nature of the cash grant program for farmers that the government wants to implement. However, agriculture officials and all those in the bureaucracy must do away with their ‘Pantawid’ mentality,” the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) said in a statement yesterday.
KMP stressed that “In our numerous protests and dialogues at the DA national and regional offices, farmers have forwarded concrete demands and we even proposed doable solutions. DA must stop pretending not to know the underlying cause of rice farmers’ woes – RA 11203 (Rice Liberalization Law) which must be repealed.”
“First, loans were being granted. Now, it’s grant. Farmers are not charity work. We are the nation’s major productive force. A P5,000 one-time cash aid is not even an economic relief. This will not uplift the farmers already devastated by the Rice Liberalization Law. Ni hindi nga ito danyos perwisyo sa kapalpakan ng gobyerno na pagsasabatas sa RA 11203, limos po ito na ibibigay ng DA sa mga naghihirap na magsasaka,” says Danilo Ramos, chairperson of KMP. He also said the government is very much accountable for the Rice Liberalization Law.
Agriculture Sec. William Dar has announced that the Cabinet decided to give cash grant to 600,000 farmers or an estimated 20 percent of the total number of rice farmers in the country. Eligible are farmers with one hectare of land and are included in the DA national registry.
“We put pride in our work as tillers of the land. We may not have much wealth but we try very hard to keep our dignity intact by earning our keep and fighting for what we truly deserve. Pakiusap namin na huwag sanang ituring ng gobyerno na pulubi ang mga magsasaka,” Ramos stressed.
He said “this very meager cash grant will not appease the growing discontent of farmers who are strongly demanding for the junking of the rice liberalization law. It is an insult to farmers and their families who have incurred heavy losses due to the impact of rice import surge and rice liberalization.”
