“Dili lang na simple ang Rice Tariffication Law. Ug garabe nalubong sa kabudlay ang mga mangunugma sa conventional agriculture, ang mutiwas jud kay kaning rice tariffication law sa mga mangunugma.” 

These were the words of Bernard Cael, a farmer from South Cotabato, as he pleaded for the government to discard the recently implemented RA 11203 (RTL) during a Pakighinabi session on Rice Tariffication Law.

Cael stressed that implementing RTL on top of their daily struggles would be “the end” for the Filipino Farmers. 

According to MASIPAG—Mindanao representative Johnny Legaria, this is because aside from having no assurance of gaining profit, the totality of farmers in the country has already incurred an overall loss of P40 Billion which cannot be compensated by the P10 Billion tariff collection since a P30 Billion loss would remain.

As to the additional aid from the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) tariff collection that was held to benefit local farmers, Legaria claimed that the said aid has failed to reach them. 

“Ug parte atong ginaingon na tabang sa tarriffication act sa pilipinas, wala jud na nakaabot saamoa. Ngano man? Kung muadto ka didto sa DA, pangitaan man kag certification mo sa kuan (organic farming), tapos daghan pa kaayo so lisod kaayo na trabahuon na sa mangugnuma, ang mga paperworks,” he said.

Legaria added that their organization is trying its best to organize their papers for certification. 

Nevertheless, he urged the government to take the implementation of the Rice Tariffication Law seriously.

“Kinanglan museryoso pud unta ang atong gobyerno sa pagtabang kay dili jud namo maingon na seryoso ang atong DA kay ang mga similya (for organic rice) ana gikan sa east-west, unya dili ni sya mabuhi kung walay HRV (high responsive variety)—kung kulang sa abuno di mabunga,” he explained.

Regarding the idea of organic farming, Legaria acknowledged organic agriculture as an agreeable solution to the issues of rice tariffication and globalization. 

“Tama man ingon ni sir Sales, isa lang solusyon nato sa pagbaba sa presyo kay ang organic farming, safe na siya, makatabang pud ta sa kinaiyahan,” he said.

However, he affirmed that their struggle as farmers begin in the process of certifying their organic products. 

“Lisod pod sa mga mangunugma, sa hanay namo no, na mag pacertify (for organic rice) tungod kay dili man namo kaya. Among gina kita kay tig-isa aka gatos lang ug ikaduha, sa pag process sa mga papers sa registration sa DA (Department of Agriculture), sa SEC (Securities and Exchange Comission) man lisod jud kayo para saamoa. Kinahanglan pa namo mangitag pondo para makapacertify,” Legaria explained.

Cael also emphasized that if the country wants to pursue organic farming, the people should urge the government to stop conventional farming practices.

“Kung gusto jud ta manawagan ug organic farming ingnon na dapat ang gobyerno na dili jud sila dapat mag duha-duha ug support. Ingnan na patyon ang supply ug practice sa conventional agriculture,kay mao jud na ang hinungdan nganong nangapurdoy nangalugi ang mga mangunugma,” Cael said.

Cael then revealed that one of the chemicals used in the Philippines’ agricultural sector is negatively affecting the environment, saying that it has already been internationally acknowledged as cancerogenic and was banned by other countries. 

“Gihiluan nato atong kinaiyahan –imagine that ang glyphosate garabe, garabe na gyud ang damage sa glyphosate karon ug karon kanang glyphosate, internationally recognized na na siya as cancerogenic ug sa laing nasod banned na jud na siya pero diri sa Pilipinas ginagamit pa nato na,” he added.

According to Cael, it has already been 60 years since conventional agriculture began, and the number of chemical concentrations had been increasing over the years. Yet, pests still exist, and this has put the local farmers on edge. 

“Seryosohon natog panawagan ang gobyrerno undangan na na (RTL), undangan na nato na abrupt para makabawi ang mga mangunguma, itarong nato atong kaugalingon –ang rice industry, dili na ta magsalig anang importation,” the farmer said as he urged the people to call on the government. 

He emphasized the importance of calling out the government to stop the RTL because if the country’s agricultural sector were to meet its complete downfall, the nation’s top opponent would be the transnational corporations. 

“Kung ma down atong agriculture, sigurado ang atong kalaban diha kay ang mga dagkong kompanya, mga transnational corporations, mga companies na nagabaligya ug seeds ug chemicals –pesticides, heribicides, ug mga abuno. Mao na sila ang nagapatuyok sa kalisod sa mga mangunguma,” Cael shared.

Organic Farming

Lead discussant Sylvester Sales, program leader of Organic Rice Certification, and Marketing Promotion of Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) opened the discussion as he presented his organization’s response to the so-called “disproportionate” burden that the said law has brought.  

He deemed this project as the Mindanao farmer’s fighting chance.

He stated that under the RTL regime, the country had suffered a series of unintended consequences, which he reckoned as “double whamming.” 

Nevertheless, solutions are being explicitly provided the organic rice certification and marketing in Mindanao.

Sales also mentioned that the P 11.4 Billion tariff collections of the Department of Agriculture have already surpassed its target amount of P10 Billion and that the said collections would benefit the farmers through competitive farming run by the DA.