📷In a rally in front of the Department of Agriculture today, Eufemia Cullamat, Bayan Muna’s fourth nominee, stated that the declaration of a “food emergency “will only pave the way for further liberalization of food in the country. Instead, there should be a push for genuine agrarian reform and support for farmers. Local production should be prioritized over imports. (Bayan Muna | FB)
Former Bayan Muna Representative Eufemia Cullamat strongly criticized the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) plan to declare a food security emergency, warning that it would only worsen the country’s dependence on agricultural imports and further devastate Filipino farmers.
“Ang food security emergency declaration na ito ay isang malaking pagtataksil sa ating mga magsasaka. Sa halip na palakasin ang lokal na produksyon, binibigyan pa ng dahilan ng DA ang mas malawakang importasyon ng bigas at iba pang produktong agrikultural,” said Cullamat.
The former legislator pointed out that the declaration would only benefit large agricultural traders and importers while further marginalizing small farmers already struggling with high production costs and farmgate prices.
“The Marcos Jr. administration’s response to our agricultural crisis has consistently favored importation over supporting local farmers. This emergency declaration is just another step toward complete agricultural liberalization that will surely bankrupt our farmers,” Cullamat emphasized.
She noted that the government’s continued implementation of the Rice Liberalization Law and this new emergency declaration demonstrates its failure to understand and address the fundamental issues affecting Philippine agriculture.
“Sabi nga ng Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) ang kailangan natin ay tunay na reporma sa agrikultura – pagpapalakas ng suporta sa mga magsasaka, pagbibigay ng subsidyo sa produksyon, at pagprotekta sa ating local na industriya ng pagkain. Hindi solusyon ang emergency declaration na ito kundi pagpapatuloy lang ng mga maling patakaran na sumisira sa ating food security,” Cullamat added.
The former representative called on the public to support Filipino farmers and join the growing opposition to anti-farmer policies that threaten the country’s food security and sovereignty.
“We must stand with our farmers in their struggle for genuine land reform and food security. The solution to our agricultural crisis lies not in more importation but in supporting our local farmers and protecting our agricultural sector from foreign control,” Cullamat concluded.#
