[ROLL VO]

FROM A CRAZY PEAK OF 70 PESOS PER KILO LAST YEAR, RETAIL PRICES OF RICE WENT DOWN TO AN
AVERAGE OF 35 PESOS PER KILO THIS YEAR.

SEEMS LIKE THE RICE TARIFFICATION LAW— SIGNED BY THE PRESIDENT EARLY THIS YEAR—IS WORKING
WONDERS.

RICE IS CHEAPER AND INFLATION IS HITTING FRESH MULTI-YEAR LOWS. EVERYBODY HAPPY, RIGHT?

WRONG.

[INSERT FARMERS SOTS]

AS CHEAP IMPORTED GRAIN FLOODED OUR INVENTORIES, FARMGATE PRICES STARTING TO SINK.

FARMERS CLAIM THAT IN SOME AREAS LIKE BATAAN AND PAMPANGA, IT WENT TO AS LOW AS 7 PESOS
PER KILO!

OVERALL, THE ESTIMATED LOSSES INCURRED BY FARMERS THIS YEAR—STAND AT A WHOPPING 140
BILLION PESOS!

THAT’S TEN TIMES THE DAMAGE BROUGHT TO THE SECTOR BY TYPHOON YOLANDA— ONE OF THE
MOST POWERFUL TROPICAL CYCLONES EVER REPORTED BY MAN!

THE GOVERNMENT DENIES THAT FARM-GATE PRICES EVER DROPPED TO SINGLE-DIGIT LEVELS.

BUT HERE’S ONE THING THEY COULD NOT DENY… FARMERS WERE RIGHT TO WORRY ABOUT RICE
TARIFFICATION.

PROPONENTS AND SUPPORTERS OF THE MEASURE CONCEDE TO AS MUCH, BUT THEY SAY THESE
TROUBLES ARE NOTHING—BUT BIRTH PANGS.

[INSERT DAR, VILLAR, ECONOMIST SOTS]

STILL, PRESIDENT DUTERTE SAID NO CHILDBIRTH SHOULD BE AS PAINFUL. HE APOLOGIZED TO LOCAL

PRODUCERS AND PROMISED THAT HELP IS ON THE WAY.

HE INSISTED THOUGH THAT THE RICE TARRIFICATION LAW COULD NOT BE REPEALED—AS DOING SO
WOULD LEAD TO A QUOTE—FOOD CRISIS!

ALL HE COULD DO WAS URGE CONGRESS TO ALLOCATE FUNDS TO PURCHASE LOCAL HARVEST EVEN AT
SLIGHTLY HIGHER PRICES.

[INSERT DUTERTE SOT: BUY ALL THE RICE]

AMID ALL THESE ISSUES, AGRICULTURE SECRETARY WILLIAM DAR REFUSES TO BLAME THE RICE
TARIFFICATION LAW FOR OUR FARMERS’ SORRY PLIGHT.

HE EXPLAINED THAT PRICES HAVE ALREADY BEEN DROPPING BEFORE THE LAW WAS IMPLEMENTED!

HE RECKONS—THIS MIGHT BE BECAUSE OF TRADERS AND MILLERS WHO HOARD SUPPLY—AS WELL AS
SMUGGLERS WHO MIGHT BE IN COLLUSION WITH D-A PERSONNEL!
AS INVESTIGATIONS INTO THESE IRREGULARITIES ARE ONGOING, DAR SAID GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS
ARE IN PLACE TO HELP AFFECTED FARMERS GET THROUGH THESE SO-CALLED BIRTHING PAINS!

THESE INCUDE THE ANNUAL 10-BILLION-PESO RICE COMPETITIVENESS ENHANCEMENT FUND.

SENATOR CYNTHIA VILLAR SAID THE R-CEF WILL BE USED TO PROVIDE TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT TO
HELP LOCAL FARMERS PRODUCE MORE EFFICIENTLY!

[SOT: VILLAR]
We can’t not be competitive because this is the age of liberalization. There will come a time when all will
be liberalized, so our farmers have to be competitive.

ON TOP OF THE R-CEF, AN ADDITIONAL 3 BILLION PESO CASH ASSISTANCE WILL BE ALLOTED NEXT
YEAR—FOR RICE FARMERS TILLING 1 TO 2 HECTARES OF LAND!

AND ANOTHER 2.5 BILLION PESOS HAS BEEN ALLOCATED FOR THE EXPANDED ZERO-INTEREST LOAN
PROGRAM EXTENDED TO FARMERS.

DAR EXPLAINS THAT IMPLEMENTING THE RICE TARIFFICATION LAW IS BOTH A CHALLENGE—AND AN
OPPORTUNITY TO TRANSFORM TRADITIONAL RICE LANDS INTO MODERN FARMING COMMUNITIES.

THIS IS SUPPOSED TO LEAD TO ENHANCED RICE SELF-SUFFICIENCY IN THE COUNTRY… IN THE LONG
RUN.

HOWEVER PROMISING ALL OF THESE SOUND, IT’S GETTING DIFFICULT FOR OUR FARMERS TO THINK
ABOUT THE LONG RUN… AS THEIR OWN PLATES REMAIN EMPTY—AND SHORT-TERM PROSPECTS
REMAIN BLEAK.

[SOT: FARMERS
What are we supposed to do in the meantime? Tell our children to ignore their hunger first? Tell them
to stop schooling and just return when these “longterm effects” kick in? We’re actual people, not lab
rats]

A GROUP CALLED BANTAY BIGAS HAS GARNERED 50 THOUSAND SIGNATORIES URGING LAWMAKERS TO
REPEAL THE RICE TARIFFICATION LAW.

THE SIGNARURES WERE GATHERED FROM FARM AREAS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, ESPECIALLY IN TOP
RICE-PRODUCING PROVINCES LIKE NUEVA ECIJA, ISABELA, PANGASINAN, CAGAYAN, ILOILO, CAMARINES
SUR, TARLAC, AND LEYTE.

THEY ARE ASKING CONGRESSMEN TO LOOK AT ANY OF THE GIVE PENDING BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS IN
THE LOWER CHAMBER— TO REPEAL OR AMEND THE LAW IN QUESTION.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND FOOD CHAIRMAN WIL ENVERGA SAID HIS COMMITTEE
WILL CONTINUE DELIBERATIONS ON ALL THESE PROPOSALS— IN THE COMING YEAR.

BUT THE RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY GROUP ACTION FOR ECONOMIC REFORMS IS CALLING ON THE
GOVERNMENT TO STAY THE COURSE IN IMPLEMENTING THE LAW.

THE GROUP CLAIMS THAT A REVERSAL WOULD JUST ALLOW TRADERS AND HOARDERS TO TAKE
ADVANTAGE.
[SOT OR GFX STATEMENT FROM AER SAYIN: STRONG SIGNALS MUST BE SENT AS REGARDS THE
CERTAINTY AND CONSISTENCY OF THIS REFORM SO AS NOT TO PLAY INTO THE HANDS OF RICE
HOARDERS WHO ANTICIPATE A REVERSAL OF THE LAW]

THE GOVERNMENT IS THUS PRESENTED WITH COMPELLING ARGUMENTS FROM AFFECTED

STAKEHOLDERS. THE NEW YEAR BECKONS AND SOON, A DECISION WOULD HAVE TO BE MADE. AS
CONSUMERS ENJOY THEIR MORE AFFORDABLE RICE MEALS, FARMERS AWAIT WHAT’S NEXT WITH
BATED BREATH.