Drawing from their past and persistent appeals and efforts, Ramos defined the EO 101 “as a public relations measure pretending to respond to the plea of farmers.”

By Shannia Cabuello
Bulatlat.com

MANILA – The Executive Order No. 101 will not address the challenges being faced by farmers and fisherfolks. 

This is the reaction of farmers group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) after Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed on October 25 the said EO mandating the full implementation of the Sagip Saka Act or Republic Act No. 11321.   

The EO aims to align the programs, activities, and projects of the national government agencies (NGAs), government-owned or controlled corporations (GOCCs), state universities and colleges (SUCs), and local government units (LGUs) with Sagip Saka Act objectives. 

During the week-long peasant protest, farmers, farm workers, and fisherfolks highlighted their struggle for land ownership, low palay floor price, inadequate farm machinery and facilities, and the losses caused by the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL). The KMP described the EO 101 as yet another superficial measure that fails to address these challenges faced by millions of farmers and fisherfolk. 

While the order aims to require direct purchases of all government entities to accredited farmers’ and fisherfolk’s agricultural and fishery products, it does not resolve their fundamental problems due to import-liberalization policies.  

Liberalization in agriculture resulted in the influx of imported agricultural products, including rice. The absence of government subsidies and other protective measures have made Filipino farmers even more vulnerable to economic losses. 

Malacañang claimed that the EO is part of the Marcos administration’s broader agenda in strengthening food security and reducing rural poverty. 

“Malacañang’s set of EOs ignore the roots of rural poverty,” said KMP Chairperson Danilo Ramos in a statement, expounding that the real problem is caused by landlessness, neoliberal policies, and state neglect. Drawing from their past and persistent appeals and efforts, Ramos defined the EO 101 “as a public relations measure pretending to respond to the plea of farmers.” 

Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on October 27 asserted that until the RTL exists, the Sagip Saka Act will be deemed useless as imported products diminish the price of local produce.

Mere ‘vendors’ in Sagip Saka Act

Pamalakaya underscored in a statement that the recent EOs are futile until importation remains unrestrained. According to the US Department of Agriculture, with expected total imports of 5.5 million metric tons (MT), the Philippines is projected to remain as the world’s top importer of this household staple.

“While the imported agricultural product can freely enter the market, farmers and fisher folks continue to suffer from lack of markets, undervalued prices by traders, and rising production costs,” Pamalakaya National Chairperson Fernando Hicap stated. 

KMP further emphasized that EO 101 also treats rural producers as mere vendors instead of main productive forces that ensures food self-sufficiency. They added that under the order, the cooperatives are at risk in being accredited solely as government-controlled organizations, stripping their potential role as drivers of collective production and farmer-led rural industrialization.

“The order focuses narrowly on market access, reducing farmers and fisherfolk to mere suppliers in government transactions, without resolving their chronic lack of production support and subsidies, over and above the long-standing problem of landlessness, land-use conversion, and neoliberal policies wreaking havoc on domestic agriculture,” said Ramos. 

In the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) census released this year, data showed that only 4.3 million of the total agricultural population has full ownership over their land. Ramos declared in a statement that what they need is control over their land, capital, equipment, insurance, and protection, which the EO fails to provide. 

“Farmers do not just need a buyer for their produce. They need the means to produce in the first place,” Ramos added.

What the farmers, fisherfolk really need

Pamalakaya asserted the repeal of the RTL and import-dependent policies. Through adequate production subsidies and other measures, the group also called for the advancement of the local rice industry, aiming to develop the Philippine rural and agricultural state. 

“We want a clear blueprint of genuine support services in agriculture, fisheries, and rural production,” KMP said in a statement. They also amplified their demands in strengthened peasant cooperatives, accessible interest-free credit, production subsidies, debt absolution, proper compensation, and State-guaranteed food self-sufficiency.  

Pamalakaya and KMP lamented that farmers will remain vulnerable against market instability as long as there are no clear mechanisms in stabilizing the prices, subsidies, and protection from cheap imports. The groups added that the genuine food security talked about by Marcos Jr. cannot exist along liberalization policies.

“As long as the government continues to allow massive importation of rice and other agricultural produce, and neglect domestic production, our farmers will remain poor and dependent,” said Ramos in a statement. 

The government has not yet responded to the petition launched by the Nagkakaisang Magsasakang Novo Ecijano (NAMANE) and signed by 15,000 farmers urging Marcos Jr. to set the P20 per kilo floor price of palay. Peasant groups and advocates have also been amplifying their calls during the entire peasant month for the enactment of the House Bill 578 or the Rice Industry Development Act. (AMU, RVO)