Ex-Solon to Abalos: Go down to Guimba, talk with farmers on rice tariff
Former Rep. Argel Cabatbat. | PHOTO: Official Facebook apge of Argel Joseph Cabatbat
MANILA, Philippines — A former House of Representatives member has called on former Interior Secretary and senatorial candidate Benhur Abalos to sit down and discuss with farmers his proposed amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) so that he will have firsthand information about the issue.
In a statement on Thursday, lawyer and former Magsasaka party-list lawmaker Argel Cabatbat extended an invitation to Abalos to visit Guimba, Nueva Ecija, for a face-to-face dialogue with farmers.
Cabatbat’s invitation came after Abalos called for amendments to the RTL, as the law supposedly harmed local farmers while failing in its promise to stabilize rice prices.
“Secretary Abalos’ proposal to amend the Rice Tariffication Law is good. But it will be more meaningful if he hears the sentiments and stories of people from the farmlands,” Cabatbat said in Filipino.
“That’s why we are inviting him to go down to Guimba so that we can listen to the grievances of farmers and farmworkers,” he added.
According to Cabatbat, he hopes Department of Agriculture (DA) officials would also attend the meeting, noting that their goal is not to argue but to listen, clarify, and find solutions for the problems hounding the agricultural sector.
Continuous dialogue
On Tuesday, Abalos said that there should be a continuous dialogue between farmers and the DA so that rice tariff issues faced by agricultural workers would be addressed.
“The Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) has been around for a long time. The goal was to improve and make rice cheaper, but now its problems are starting to show. Congress and the Senate should look at it closely and see what needs to be fixed in the law to help our farmers,” Abalos said.
Abalos noted that the RTL has “serious flaws” that Congress should fix, like stripping the National Food Authority (NFA) of the power to sell rice and import grains.
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In the 19th Congress, the House approved on the third and final reading House Bill (HB) No. 10381, which seeks amendments to Republic Act No. 11203 or RTL to bring back some of NFA’s functions.
If enacted, the Agriculture Secretary can declare, based on the recommendation of the National Price Coordinating Council or Local Price Coordinating Council, a food security emergency due to the following reasons:
- Shortage in the supply of rice
- Sustained increase in the price of rice
- An extraordinary rise in the price of rice
During a food security emergency, the NFA would be allowed to intervene and sell rice directly by purchasing grains from local farmers, with importation as a last resort.
READ: House amendments to rice tariff law approved on 3rd reading
With the current status, the NFA had to wait for a food security emergency declaration before it could sell cheaper rice.
However, the bill faced opposition in the Senate amid fears that giving back some of NFA’s mandates might lead to corruption again.
House committee on agriculture and food chairperson and Quezon 1st District Rep. Wilfrido Mark Enverga, meanwhile, assured senators that reinstating some of NFA’s powers would not translate into corruption because the agency will still have a limited role in terms of importation.
RTL author
Senator Cynthia Villar, principal author of the RTL, is one of the several senators who have warned against amending R.A. No. 11203, as the law specifically barred the NFA from importing and selling rice due to rampant corruption in the agency.
READ: Rep. Enverga assures public of NFA’s limited role on importation
Cabatbat called out people spreading misinformation online, particularly about a farmer who allegedly took his own life due to the low prices of palay.
The DA and the National Bureau of Investigation have already debunked these claims.
“Let’s be clear: farmworkers are farmers. They give life to agriculture, and they should not be used as tools for false information. We should not let fake news overpower the true fight — the fight against high prices of goods, the call for support [for] local harvesting, and the fight for a dignified life for our farmers,” he said.
“This isn’t about sides. This is about truth. And if we really want to fix the system, we have to start with listening,” he added.
