LUCENA CITY, Philippines — A leading farmers’ group, Katarungan (Kilusan Para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo at Katarungang Panlipunan), has formally called on Malacañang to include representatives from the agricultural and fisheries sectors in the government’s newly formed crisis committee. The committee was established to address looming fuel and food shortages triggered by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Danny Carranza, secretary general of Katarungan, emphasized that any emergency body tasked with securing the nation’s food supply must include the voices of those who actually produce the food.
- Frontline Role: Carranza argued that farmers and fisherfolk are the “backbone of the food system” and are the first to suffer from oil price shocks that drive up production costs.
- Avoiding Detachment: Without direct participation from these sectors, the group warns that the committee’s policies may be “fundamentally incomplete” and detached from the daily realities of food production.
Beyond temporary cash subsidies, the group is advocating for long-term structural changes to build a more resilient food system:
- Renewable Energy in Farming: Promoting solar-powered irrigation and farm technologies to reduce the sector’s heavy reliance on expensive fossil fuels.
- Expedited Production Support: Eliminating bureaucratic delays in the delivery of machinery, tools, seeds, and other agricultural inputs.
- Expanded Capital Access: Improving access to loans and funding for farmers’ cooperatives to strengthen local economies.
- Logistical Support: Providing transport assistance to allow farmers to bring their produce directly to markets, bypassing exploitative middlemen.
The call for inclusion follows an announcement by Palace Press Officer Claire Castro that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is finalizing the creation of a crisis committee as fuel prices continue to climb. While the government has already begun rolling out fuel subsidies for the transport sector, agricultural groups maintain that sustained, strategic support is necessary to achieve true food sovereignty and self-reliance.
“If the government is serious about food security, it must ensure sustained support so farmers can increase productivity and feed the nation,” Carranza stated, describing the current situation as a “turning point” for Philippine agriculture.