Up to P4.6 billion will be distributed to 1.1 million farmers as cash assistance to ease their suffering brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and the falling prices of unmilled rice, Senator Cynthia Villar said Monday.
Villar, head of the Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform, says the Senate’s Joint Resolution 12 seeks to authorize the use of excess rice importation collection of the Bureau of Customs for the year 2020 as cash assistance to farmers who are tilling one hectare and below.
“According to a preliminary report from BOC, from January to September 2020, they have already collected P13.6 billion, and there is an excess of P3.6 billion,” Villar said.
“There was an excess collection left last 2019, so together we want that money to be included in the General Appropriations Act and use that as cash assistance to rice farmers.”
Villar says she is also asking the Department of Agriculture to redirect the P1-billion budget in their crop diversification program to the cash assistance fund, so that more money will be distributed to the farmers, or for a total of P4.6 billion.
Villar authored the resolution to compel the immediate implementation of a provision in Republic Act 11203, or the Rice Tariffication Law, stating that anything in excess of P10 billion from the importation dues should be allocated for rice farmer financial assistance, titling of agricultural rice lands, expanded crop insurance program on rice, or for crop diversification program.
She also asked Agriculture Secretary William Dar to instruct the Bureau of Plant Industry to stop issuing import permits for rice.
“Why do we need to import? That was my question to BPI, the one giving permit for importation,” Villar said.
Aside from Villar, Senators Nancy Binay, Imee Marcos, Francis Pangilinan and Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, were all agreed to adopt the resolution, and for the submission of the measure for plenary consideration and approval.