Sectoral groups hope SONA will tackle food security, rising prices
MANILA, Philippines — Peasant groups want President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to present concrete measures to address the increase in commodity prices, boost local food production, and protect fishers in the West Philippine Sea.
Fishers, farmers, rural women, and workers participated in a multi-sectoral protest ahead of Marcos’ first State of the Nation Address to call on the new administration to address issues faced by most Filipinos.
Amihan National Federation of Peasant Women challenged Marcos to provide specific plans to resolve agrarian disputes, address hunger and inflation and prioritize local production over importation of agricultural commodities. Inflation rose 6.1% year-on-year in June. The last time inflation reached this level was back in November 2018.
The group also asked Marcos to repeal the Rice Tariffication Law, which has allowed more rice importation but has also led to a rise in prices.
Marcos, who vowed to bring prices of rice to just P20 per kilo, is temporarily leading the Department of Agriculture.
“Walang unity kung patuloy niyang hindi pakikinggan ang mga kahilingan ng mga magsasaka para sa libreng pamamahagi ng lupa o tunay na reporma sa lupa, at sapat na production subsidy bilang hakbang para sa self-sufficiency,” Amihan national chairperson Zenaida Soriano said.
(There is no unity if he continues to ignore the demands of farmers for free land distribution or real land reform, and adequate production subsidy as a measure for self-sufficiency.)
The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas stressed that farmers do not want a “repeat of the failed Masagana 90. The agriculture department is eyeing a “Masagana 150” program that will target to produce 150 cavans of rice per hectare.
KMU recommended that Marcos should issue a moratorium on land conversion, suspend excise tax on oil products, provide cash aid and production subsidy for food producers, and allocate at least 10% of the national budget to agriculture.
PAMALAKAYA, a fishers’ group, called on Marcos to provide a concrete plan on how he will diplomatically address the continuous Chinese incursion in the West Philippine Sea, which poses serious threats to Filipino fisherfolk, especially those who are engaged in artisanal fisheries.
Workers’ concerns
Living wage, regularization, and labor rights should be Marcos’ top priorities, labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno stressed.
It called on the chief executive to certify as urgent a pro-worker security of tenure bill, implement a program that will create regular and decent jobs, uphold workers’ rights to organize and form unions, fix the country’s mass transportation system, and provide affordable housing.
“Kaming mga manggagawa nga, ni hindi man lang nabanggit kahit minsan. Para bang bulag at mangmang itong si Junior sa usapin ng sahod, trabaho, at kabuhayan,” KMU chairperson Elmer Labog.
(We workers were not even mentioned once. It’s as if Marcos Jr. is blind and ignorant to matters of wages, work, and livelihood.)
Marcos is expected to present more details about the priorities of his administration as he delivers his first SONA before Congress.
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