It comes to me with slight surprise that there is little talk among students and bloggers with regards to the imminent shortage of rice in the country. I don’t know, perhaps, as a middle class concern, the pursuit of low-carb diets and the shortage of rice go hand-in-hand? Or perhaps since we all apparently have alternative sources of nutrition, rice shortage isn’t really a primary concern? Or because many of us can afford it at 40 pesos a kilo anyway? I don’t really know. But for the common Filipino who remains to be poor, rice is one of the cheapest foods that sustain his daily nutrition, especially for the many work of his (if any) that require intensive manual labor. Just the thought of rice at 40 or 50 pesos per kilo must be really alarming and terrifying. When shall it be alarming for the rest?
I believe this crisis is simply a manifestation of long-entrenched problems in land, agriculture, trade and governance, and as such cannot fully be solved through band-aid solutions as proposed by the administration. Radical changes in government policies on land use and land reform, on international trade and on rampant corruption among rice traders and bureaucrats must be implemented. Which shall not only solve the imminent crisis in rice supply, but a whole lot of other recurring problems in our country from peasant landlessness to institutional corruption.
We know this is a complex problem, and I don’t wish to be simplistic about this. But as a perpetrator herself of the present policies that sustain the present condition, I don’t think we can ever expect President Arroyo to pursue such radical reforms in government policies. Or, if ever, do them genuinely. All she is willing to do is to lie and sugarcoat the problem, and urge Filipinos, rather insultingly, to eat less or eat something else. Half-rice servings? Eat vegetable starch instead? What?!
As such, I still believe that part of the solution, not just to the crisis in the supply of rice but to many other problems, is the continued and intensified call for the President’s resignation.
We may not see ordinary bloggers or fellow students talk about this issue a lot. But you see, if the most we students, and other members of the middle class can show is a hundred thousand in the streets of Ayala calling for truth and accountability, let us not be surprised at the larger number of hungry masses who will go out and bring down the one who perpetrates the tragic status quo we all find ourselves in once we don’t act on the urgency of the situation.
Further reading:
The imminent crisis in rice (Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism)
Palaasa sa Inaangkat na Bigas (Pinoy Weekly)
Conflicting government data bare gravity of rice shortage (Bagong Alyansang Makabayan)
Reverse “Globalization” of Agriculture and Promote Self-Sufficiency to Address Rice Crisis (Bagong Alyansang Makabayan)
law student, national democracy activist, film school graduate, photography hobbyist
Sabi naman ni PGMA kay Arthur Yap “Stop all the hoarders” and then with the matching authoritative photo that was really nicely shot.
But I don’t know, I really feel that NFA is really useless. People can hoard rice from that agency because the agency exists. Kung wala ng agency, masmahihirapan na ang hoarders because to hoard they have to go to individual retailers.
So yes, bureaucracy sucks. And so does agrarian reform in this country. Well, good policy, lousy implementation because everyone is just so greedy about land they don’t use anyway. That’s why when I grow up I want to be a trade negotiator. To protect the interest of the agricultural sector without really the farming part… LoL.
Nakakabahala. Sa totoo lang.
what? you want to protect the interest of the agricultural sector WITHOUT the farming part? what do you mean by that
i guess the rice shortage is just a result of other more unveiled anomalies in GMA’s administration. nonetheless, people had those mass rallies and stuff, but still… Filipinos need a little more struck.
takot ako !!!!
Oo nga. I agree Bikoy.
Tila ‘di nakikita ng mga tao ang problemang ito.
At conflicting ang mga naglalabasang mga statements kaya lalong nakababahala.
nakausap ko ang isang magsasaka tungkol sa pagmahal ng bigas. ang sabi niya, maganda para sa kanila ang pagtaas ng presyo ng bigas (at ng palay) para makabawi naman sila sa hirap nila sa pagtanim at pag-ani nito. at sabi pa rin nya, para maging angkop ang hirap nila sa presyo ng bigas, dapat ang presyo ng bigas, P50
hindi dapat pinagtutunggali ang interes ng magsasaka at ang interes ng ibang mamamayang naghihirap din naman.
bakit nga ba napipilitang ipagbili ng mga magsasaka, hindi lang ang palay kundi pati ang kanilang mga gulay at iba’t ibang produktong agraryo ng napakababang halaga na hindi na tumbas sa dugo’t pawis na ibinuwis nila sa pagbubungkal ng lupa?
sa matalas na pagsusuri at masusing paghahanap ng kasagutan ng ganyang uri ng mga tanong ay mahahanap mo rin ang sagot kung bakit mababa ang sahod ng napakaraming pilipino kaya nahihirapang bumili ng mga pangunahing pangangailangan tulag ng bigas.
the plight of farmers sa mga sakahan ay hindi na compensate sa perang kanilang kita mula sa kanilang mga produkto.
ang pagkaaroon ng rice shortgae ay sanhi ng kawalan ng suporta ng gobyerno sa mga magsasaka. hindi nito pinangangalagaan ang interes ng mga taong nagpapakahirap sa bukid. sa taas ng mga bilihin mas pinili nilang ibenta ang kanilang lupa at gawing industrial land.
nasasalamin dito ang kahirapan at korupsyon sa gobyerno!
ang mahirap ay lalong nababaon sa kahirapan at ang kumikita sa mga pagtaas ng bilihin ay lalong yumaman!