The Filipinos are to consume the “chemical” rice because the “healthy” ones are exported, Wailan said. “Another thing, in spite of the rice ‘oversufficiency’ of Cordillera, rice importation is resorted to even in Kalinga, the region’s rice granary. As the National Food Authority (NFA) revealed, of the 402,000 cavans, 200,000 cavans has already been distributed,” he added.

The Innabuyog-GABRIELA and Apit-Tako joint statement also said that the rice importation is expected to increase with the full implementation of the Agreement of Agriculture (AoA) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) this year.

However, the price of rice increases despite the influx of cheap imported rice. The prices in 1994 were: NFA (National Food Authority) rice-P8.44/kg; ordinary rice-P8.86/kg; special rice-P9.50/kg. Ten years later, the prices were: NFA-P16.00/kg; ordinary-P17-18/kg; special-P20-28/kg.

Meanwhile, Wailan shared that they have been encouraging local farmers to go back using the traditional rice varieties through seed exchange among barrios to propagate new seeds and practice organic farming that would lengthen the health of their farmlands; thus, provide them with more healthy crops. So far, the exchange has been in the provinces of Ifugao, Kalinga and Mountain Province.

Decrying being foodless and poorer

Mila Lingbawan of the Innabuyog-GABRIELA said that there is definitely nothing to celebrate on these two occasions. “We are currently experiencing severe hunger and poverty as opposed to what the government says that the economy is getting better. There is no proper subsidy for the most important part of the country’s economy that is agriculture, which is participated in by 80 percent of Filipinos who are peasants,” Lingbawan stressed.

Lingbawan also said that besides the economic problems of peasants, they are faced with political killings, 54 percent of whom are farmers that affect the whole farming community and the wives and children left to themselves.

Innabuyog-GABRIELA spokesperson Vernie Yocogan-Diano emphasized that “people must voice out their anger against national and international policies that instead of finding ways to suffice food, do otherwise.”

Both groups called on all farmers and advocates to oppose agricultural trade liberalization, push for increased agricultural subsidies, and urge the Philippine government to recall its WTO membership.

(Bulatlat.com)

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