Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas
DOF, NEDA representing interests of importers
Farmers, fisherfolk, and food security advocates today joined a broad protest motorcade of farmers and agricultural stakeholders demanding the removal of Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Benjamin Diokno and National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) chief Arsenio Balicasan over their proposal to remove the import tariffs on rice.
Diokno and Balisacan’s proposal to reduce the current 35% import tariff on rice to 10% up to zero tariff will be a “death sentence” to the local rice industry and will be disastrous to local farmers and consumers. DOF and NEDA are among the masterminds of agricultural trade liberalization including the Rice Liberalization Law.
“We demand the removal of Diokno and Balisacan. As the country’s top economic managers and alter egos of the President, they represent the neoliberal interests of big traders and importers. We regard them as among the biggest stumbling blocks to the protection and strengthening of the domestic rice industry. Sila ang pangunahing tagapagtulak ng mga patakaran ng import liberalization,” according to KMP chairman emeritus Rafael Mariano.
KMP further said they strongly disapprove of Balisacan as agriculture secretary. Last week, Diokno slipped and said Balisacan is a fit candidate as DA chief.
For their part, peasant women federation AMIHAN asserted that protecting and strengthening the local rice production is the only acceptable solution to rice price crisis.
“Reducing or removing rice tariffs will only benefit rice importers and big traders,” according to Cathy Estavillo of AMIHAN and Bantay Bigas. “As long as import liberalization and neoliberal economic policies in agriculture persist under the Marcos Jr administration, we will never achieve food security and self-sufficiency,” Estavillo said.
“If the country will import 3.8 million metric tons of rice with only 10 percent or even zero tariff, the government will incur billions in foregone revenues,” Mariano added.
The motorcade and street protest will conduct short protest programs at the offices of the Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF), Office of the Philippine Tariff Commission, office of the Federation Of Filipino Chinese Chambers Of Commerce & Industry and the Department of Finance.
KMP also scoffed at the DOF and DA which chooses importation as solution to the rice problem. “Paulit-ulit na kami sa pagsasabi na dapat palakasin ang lokal na produksyon sa halip na importasyon ang tama at pangmatagalang solusyon sa krisis sa bigas.
“Kapag tuluyan nang inalis ang taripa, babaha ang imported na bigas at lalong mababaon sa kumunoy ng kahirapan ang ating mga magsasaka ng palay. Pribadong sektor at ang kartel pa rin ang makikinabang sa zero tariff sa imported na bigas.”
“We also demand the reinstatement of government control and regulation of the rice industry through the National Food Authority (NFA),” Mariano concluded.
Agricultural groups SINAG, Federation of Free Farmers, Philippine Confederation of Grains Associations (PHILCONGRAINS), Pambansang Mannalon, Mag-uuma, Magbabaul, Magsasaka ng Pilipinas (P4MP), and National Movement for Food Sovereignty (NMFS) are also opposing the rice tariff reduction and demanding the removal of Diokno and Balisacan. ###
