crises among farmers

1. 2022 PHILIPPINE SENATORIAL RACE
To help farmers, Senate bets seek changes to
rice tariffication law
MAR 12, 2022 11:10 PM PHT
JAIRO BOLLEDO
To help farmers, Senate bets seek changes to
rice tariffication lawINFO
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Candidates who joined the Rundown 2022
senatorial forum also share their priority bills
MANILA, Philippines – To help farmers affected
by the government’s rice tariffication law, some
senatorial candidates said they will push for
some changes in the said law.

2. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, an ally of President
Rodrigo Duterte who is part of the Senate slate
of dictator’s son Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos
Jr., said if he wins, he would push for an
oversight for the said law. Gatchalian was one
of the authors of the law.
“May pagbaba nga ng presyo ng bigas sa
consumer pero ang ating mga farmers naman
ay hindi kumikita (The price of rice for
consumers is decreasing but our farmers are
not earning from it),” Gatchalian said during the
Rundown 2022 senatorial forum on Saturday,
March 12.
An oversight means the law would be reviewed
or monitored by the legislative branch or
certain lawmakers.

3. The rice tariffication law, passed under
Duterte’s term, has become a controversial law
because of its negative impact on farmers. Even
Duterte’s former agriculture chief and now
senatorial candidate Manny Piñol said the law
would put the farmers at the mercy of
agricultural imports.
In September 2020, the Federation of Free
Farmers and Action for Economic Reform
revealed in a study that after the rice
tariffication law was passed, there was a decline
in the prices of palay.
Senatorial candidate and lawyer Alex Lacson
said the rice tariffication law should be
reviewed to ensure that farmers are benefiting

4. from it. Meanwhile, incumbent Senator Richard
Gordon, as a suggestion to help the agricultural
sector, said the government must provide more
machinery and fertilizers to the farmers to
lower their production cost.
Priority bills
All 19 bets who joined Saturday’s forum were
asked what their priority bills would be should
they be elected to the Senate. Antique
Representative Loren Legarda, who initially
accepted the invitation, withdrew her
participation in the forum.
Below are the candidates present during the
forum and what they said would be their
priority legislations:

5. Ibrahim Albani – focusing on barangay
development
Agnes Bailen – government reorganization
Carl Balita – omnibus positive practice
environment act for healthcare workers
Roy Cabonegro – increasing the Climate Change
Adaptation Fund and a 100% shift to non-
nuclear renewable energy by 2040
John Castriciones – food sufficiency and
strengthening the agricultural sector
Neri Colmenares – “Libreng Gamot at Libreng
Pagamot”
David D’Angelo – declaration of a climate
emergency
Chel Diokno – free legal assistance and food
security law
Luke Espiritu – abolishing manpower agencies
Win Gatchalian – oversight of rice tariffication

6. law, K to 12 program, and excellence in teacher
education act
Richard “Dick” Gordon – social justice
Samira Gutoc – magna carta on crises
Risa Hontiveros – “Healthy Buhay at
Hanapbuhay” and anti-hospital detention bill
Elmer “Ka Bong” Labog – raising minimum wage
and ending contractualization
Alex Lacson – national dairy program
Sonny Matula – upholding labor rights and
ending contractualization
Astra Pimentel – boosting the country’s tourism
Antonio Trillanes IV – COVID-19 recovery
program
Carmen Zubiaga – establishing rehabilitation
facilities in local government units
A total of 64 candidates are gunning for a

7. Senate seat in the May 9 polls. Frontrunners like
former House speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and
Raffy Tulfo did not attend Saturday’s forum.
Among the candidates who entered the top 13
spots in Pulse Asia’s senatorial survey in
January, only Hontiveros and Gatchalian
attended. – Rappler.com