QUEZON CITY, Metro Manila — AGRI Party-list filed a measure to probe the recent reports that small-scale rice and corn millers in over 1,000 barangays have closed in a span of a decade after they were dominated by big players and influx of cheaper imported grain supplies.
Lee filed House Resolution No. 2150 urging Congress to investigate these alarming closures, including assessment of their impact to livelihood and food security.
“Nakakabahala ang pagsasara ng mga rice and corn millers sa napakaraming barangay sa bansa na hindi nakasabay sa pagdagsa ng mas murang imported na produkto sa merkado. Marami na naman nating magsasaka ang apektado ang kabuhayan at kita sa mga pagsasarang ito,” AGRI Party-list Representative and Senatorial aspirant Manoy Wilbert “Wise” Lee said.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), there were 15,436 barangays with rice and corn mills in 2023, which is lower by 6.3 percent from the 16,476 recorded in 2013.
“Kailangang suriin agad ang usaping ito dahil kung hindi ito matutugunan, posibleng dumami pa ang magsasarang rice and corn millers sa mga susunod na taon, lalo na kung mananatiling mababa ang taripa at dagsa pa rin ang papasok na imported na produkto sa merkado,” AGRI Party-list stated.
“Kung magpapatuloy ito, bababa pa ang kita ng ating mga lokal na magsasaka, mawawalan sila ng gana, at bababa ang produksyon na siya namang magpapalayo sa katuparan ng food security sa bansa,” it added.
According to the said resolution, there is a need to scrutinize the effectiveness of current government programs and interventions to support the development of local rice and corn industries and determine short-term and long-term interventions to put an end to the closure of these mills.
“With small-scale rice and corn mills closing despite recurring calls to elevate the state of the country’s agriculture sector, the government needs to recalibrate its policies so progress can be felt by our local food producers. Di pwedeng habang bukambibig na dapat maging mura ang pagkain at prayoridad ang agrikultura ay napapabayaan naman ang ating mga magsasaka, mangingisda at local food producers,” AGRI stressed.
AGRI Party-list has long been fighting for more support for post-harvest facilities for farmers through its persistent calls to increase the budget for these needed facilities and agricultural equipment during budget deliberations.
Further, AGRI renewed its call for the immediate passage of House Bill No. 3958 or the “Post-Harvest Facilities Support Act”, which underscores the need to provide warehouses, rice mills, and crucial equipment such as dryers, threshers and cold storages, to increase production.
“Ang pinakamabisang solusyon sa inflation ay pagtulong sa mga magsasaka at mangingisda at local food producers. Kung patuloy silang madedehado sa mga imported na produkto at kawalan ng sapat na suporta mula sa gobyerno, mananatiling suntok sa buwan at pangarap lang ang murang pagkain,” AGRI Party-list said.
“Simulan natin ang 2025 sa seryosong pagtutok at pagbibigay prayoridad sa agrikultura at ituloy-tuloy ang nararapat na tulong sa sektor. Malinaw na sa suporta sa mga lokal na magsasaka, mapapataas ang produksyon at mapapababa ang presyo ng pagkain, kung saan panalo ang sambayanang Pilipino,” it added.
