Unheard Voices of the Filipino Farmers

We, the students of Saint Augustine School, STEM 3 Grade 12, have an advocacy for the Filipino Farmers and their rights on their salary. We are concerned on the local farmers here in our country, the Philippines. We want things to change, and that is the salary of the farmers, we should give importance to them. That's why we will be their voice.

Rice farmers are the persons who plant and harvest wheat. Philippines had a large field for planting and harvesting root crops and various plants. According to World Bank (2017), Philippines’ agriculture hires 27.7% of Filipino workforce. Philippines got the 8^th rank from the largest producer of rice in the world, recording of 2.8% of production of rice globally. The said country was also the largest importer of rice in the world in 2010. Palay were produced almost 15. 7% and it was accounted for 2.37% of GNP and 21.86% of gross value added in agriculture. In the year 2015, 88.93% aroused of self-sufficiency rice. Apparently, farming is very essential to the Philippines and farmers should have higher salary. Eventually, they tend to do farming either it’s sunny or rainy because if they don’t, then they will die from starving. Dejaresco III (2019) stated that there are already ten millions of rice farmers in the Philippines and up until now, they are extrapolating which makes them in trouble.

As the rice farmers continue to plant rice, they are demanding for a higher rate of salary but President Rodrigo Duterte already signed Rice Tariffication Law last February 2019. The palay’s price plunged down to as low as seven pesos per kilo in accordance with the implementation of the said law. The group of farmers tend to asked for the government’s help. Though, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the National Food Authority (NFA) to buy the local rice (Esguerra, 2019).

The ever increasing sales on imported products affects the price range of local farmer's produce. The government should also solve the problem of the poor farmers. The price should not be downgraded. Farmers deserve an accurate salary for they do their job even though it is very hard and it is all they have and need to do. What if the farmers died due to starving? What if there will be no farmers already, at all? What if we, Filipinos, don’t support local rice already? It would be a real tragedy. Farmers and farming in the Philippines needs a great support from the government. Overall, farmers need to have a big salary. On the past years, Philippines were one of the suppliers of the other country but now, we already get supplies from them. It’s ironic and not good. Filipinos should support local and help farmers by buying their rice products. Filipino government needs to give attention to the farmers. Farmers are very significant and they are also humans who need to live and support their families.