Affordable and quality rice for all

Lately I have been thinking about the continuous price hikes on basic commodities in the country, and I have noticed how the poor suffer from them. They can no longer fill their empty stomach with enough food to serve their family, and it pains me to see them that way.

I am talking about this because I see how unfair the government system is to the poor, while the rich seem unaffected by the price hikes. The poor can no longer buy rice as their staple food following the passage of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act that increased prices by P1-P2 per kilo due to the petroleum price hike. The farmers’ livelihood is also at stake. Farmers are continuously in debt in addition to being landless. It holds true as vast lands of haciendas are still existing in the country and landlords monopolize the rice industry. The World Trade Organization agreement also strengthened rice importation.

This now brings me to what we can do in order to push for an affordable and quality rice. Forums, discussions, and demonstrations can be done in order to get the attention of the government to act on this, while also getting the support of the masses to further strengthen the call.

I hope that this can help spread the need to act on such a very important issue: a call for an affordable and quality rice for all.

SARRYNA GESITE, gesitesarryna@gmail.com