Senator Francis Pangilinan on Sunday urged Malacañang to issue an executive order setting a floor price for palay, or unmilled rice, in all government purchases.
He said the move would fully implement the Sagip Saka Act, or Republic Act No. 11321, ensuring farmers receive fair compensation amid persistently low farmgate prices.
“When palay is bought at only eight to ten pesos per kilo while the production cost is fourteen to fifteen pesos, no amount of aid can make up for the losses,” he said. Pangilinan stressed that farmers deserve fairness, not charity, and that setting a floor price would level the playing field for those feeding the nation.
He issued the statement after Nueva Ecija farmer Danilo Bolos told a House hearing that rice farmers need higher buying prices, not more cash assistance. Bolos said repeated financial aid only reinforces the perception that farmers are beggars rather than essential food producers.
According to Pangilinan, a government order establishing a minimum palay price would show that the administration listens to and values farmers’ concerns. “They need a fair price for the fruits of their labor. That’s why we’ve long been calling for a floor price—to give those who feed us a fair chance to compete,” he said.
