Bills pushed as food security emergency looms

THE Philippine Congress should fast-track the approval of proposed laws to make food affordable, a congressman said on Monday, as the Agriculture department looks to declare a food security emergency to curb mounting food prices.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. said last week his department will likely declare a food security emergency as market prices for rice remain stubbornly high.

In a statement, Party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee said lawmakers should immediately pass bills he filed, such as House Bills (HB) No. 3957 and 9020, which he described as providing needed support to Filipino farmers.

“If there is complete support for local farmers, there would be no need to declare a food security emergency,” he said in a statement. “By enacting these proposed laws, we believe that the price of rice can be reduced until the government’s goal of twenty pesos per kilo is achieved.”

HB No. 3957, filed in Aug. 2022, seeks to establish Kadiwa centers nationwide to make below-market-price food products readily accessible.

Meanwhile, Mr. Lee filed HB No. 9020 in Aug. 2023, which aims to create a “price stabilization program for rice” to help secure farmers against price declines and shocks.

“Aside from the stop-gap measures that the government is implementing to immediately alleviate the burden on consumers due to high prices… we also need to start implementing long-term solutions where both farmers and consumers will benefit and be helped,” Mr. Lee said.

In a separate statement, Party-list Rep. Percival V. Cendaña said the government should take “decisive action” against rice cartels keeping rice prices elevated.

“We need to teach these greedy, exploitative businessmen a lesson — imprison them, if necessary,” he said in Filipino. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio