?ise for Rice!

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I I ow have we come to this? Those who tion contains seven points on why the
Ll produce food for us remain in "deadly" law that came into being with the
Jf nenury debr while rhey are per- principal sponsorship ofSen. Cynthia Vil-
I I petually"na
being stalked by hunger that lar must be repealed.
' need not be. " Mapahlinlang" (rnisteading, a decep-
when the misleadingly cilled rice tion) is how the rural women called gov-
tariffication law was passed last Febru- ernment promises that rice for the table
ary, its sponsors crowed about it like it would dramatically go down, citing its cur-
was heaven's gift to Filipino farmers. Ac- rentprice to be P3o to P5o per kilo and ask-
tually, the name of the law is rice liberal- ing what happened to the Natidnal Food
ization law (Republic Act No. 11203). Its Authority's P27 rice.
onerous title: "An act liberalizing the im- "The decrease in rice prices was
portation, exportation and trading of short-lived," Bantay Bigas spokesperson
rice, lifting for the pUrpose the quantita- llUlilAII FACE Cathy Estavillo said. I'The long-terr4 ef-
tive import restriction on rice, and for MA. CERES P. DOYO fect that is to be expected by consumers
other purposes." is a rise in rice prices because of limited
Its pushers in Congress often referred
women),cabrietaandAnlkpa\,r'is. rice supply in the world market, loss of
to it as the "rice tariffication law,,, as This is a timely move iust before the
though afraid that the word "liberatiza- Sovernment control of prices, and the
United Nations' celebration of Interna- private sector's monopoly ofcontrol over
tion" would cast a spell that would cause
tional Day of R_Fral Women (Oct. 15) and prices and supply."
unrest. Whateier its name, RA 11203 is not World Food Day (Oct. 16).
As of now, the rice watch groups said,
only causing unrest among Filipino farm- Zenaida Soriano, Amihan national palay farm gate prices range from pro to
ers, it has also mired them in debt and chair, said: "Women are in the frontline of
Pr5 per kilo, with fresh palay costing a
penury, because the price of their palay hunger. Thus, women, especially
women mere P12 per kilo. Without rice dryers,
(unmilled rice) has plummeted to the farmers, are direct victims of the rice liber-
farmers part with their newty harvested
depths, while cheap imported rice floods alization law which resulted in the drop
of rice at lowprices.
the warehouses. palay farm gate prices and the absence of Even rice millers are affected, too.
Last Monday, representatives of rice affordable rice in the market." Close to 7,ooo rice mitlers all over the
watch groups and peasant women leaders I had a one-on-one with Soriano be- country with some 55,ooo workers will be
held a press conference to raise the call fore the press con, and I was quite im-
"Rise for Rice!" and launch a signature press€dwhen sheproudlytold me that af-
severely affected if there wi[ be no palay
to milt.
campaign for the repeal of RA fl2o3, and ter the men are done with field prepara-
The groups estimate a P6o-billion
the enactment of House Bill No. 47/ or the tions, it is the women who take over as
loss among farmers from January to Au-
Rice Industry Development Act (filed by the men seek nonfarmingjobs to augment gust, with farmers cont"emplating on
Rep. Arlene Brosas of Gabriela Womenls the family income. But the women
are abandoning their farmlands to the de-
Party). HB 4z hopes to ensure food securi- hardly recognized in the agriculture
sec- light of real estate developers and land
ty based on self-reliance and self-suffi- tor, she lamented. speculators.
ciency, and not on importation. While RA 11203 is in place, there will be "Harvest time is about to end," Estavil-
The target number of signatures is no let.up in the clamor io have it repealed; lo lamented, "and there is no reliefin sight
r1,2o3 to be gathered from market places, that's the groups' promise. The petition foi the farmers who are victims of the
turo-turo and people who live by rice. Be- and signatures vyill be submitted to the deadly deluge that is liberalization."
hind the move are groups Bantay Bigas, House.of Representatives and the Senate
Amihan (a national federation of peasant on Nov. 4 when sessions resume. The pet! Send feedback to cerespd@gmail.com

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