ILOILO City – After years of being sidelined by the Rice Tariffication Law, farmers in Iloilo are finally finding renewed recognition in national rice policy through the “Benteng Bigas Meron Na!” program of the National Food Authority (NFA).
Launched on September 4 at the NFA Region 6 warehouse in Jaro, the program allows farmers and farmworkers registered under the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) to purchase rice at P20 per kilo.
But beyond cheaper rice, the project has stirred momentum to restore the NFA’s mandate and curb the dominance of imports that have long undercut local producers.
Herrielle V. Jumagbas, acting regional manager of NFA Western Visayas, explained that while the initiative was first designed to aid vulnerable sectors, farmers were eventually included to address their worsening economic plight.
“By appreciating this quality, we also hope to motivate farmers to keep planting and producing more,” she said, pointing out that the rice being sold comes directly from local farmers.
Farmer leaders used the launch to push for bigger reforms. Ricardo Doce, chairperson of the Regional Farmers Action Council, bared that they had passed a resolution supporting House Bill No. 1, which seeks to amend the Rice Tariffication Law by reinstating the tariff on imported rice to 35 percent from 15 percent.
“With the anticipated passage of House Bill No. 1 and the restoration of NFA’s mandate, we are optimistic that the farmgate price of palay has the potential to improve further, thereby uplifting the agricultural economy and enhancing the lives of our farmers,” Doce stressed.
NFA Iloilo branch manager Glenda G. Paz said the program also complements government efforts to buy palay at competitive prices ranging from P23 to P30 per kilo for dry harvest and P17 to P23 for wet harvest.
She admitted, however, that inadequate drying facilities remain a challenge, though upgrades under the Masagana Agri-Food Infrastructure Modernization program are expected by early 2026.
Meanwhile, DA Western Visayas OIC-Regional Technical Director Maria Teresa T. Solis highlighted the program as a model of inter-agency cooperation.
“While the DA extends support through inputs and resources to farmers, it does not partake in the selling of rice, hence the critical necessity for cooperation with NFA and FTI [Food Terminal Inc.] to bring this program to fruition,” she said.
The event was attended by representatives of farmer cooperatives from Dumangas, Oton, New Lucena, and San Miguel, who were among the first to avail of the P20 rice allocation./PN
