A general view of people trooping to the Manila Baywalk Dolomite Beach along Roxas Boulevard in Manila city on Oct. 17, 2021, a day after authorities eased its quarantine restrictions in the nation’s capital. (File photo by TED ALJIBE / Agence France-Presse)
MANILA, Philippines — Farmers and fisherfolk marked World Food Day on Monday by urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to address hunger by rejecting all reclamation activities on Manila Bay and to stave off inflation.
Peasant groups like Pamalakaya, Amihan, and Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) went to the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to protest the rising prices of goods while they suffer the brunt of reclamation and importation policies that affect their harvest.
Among others, the groups urged Mr. Marcos to “unconditionally revoke” all environmental compliance certificates (ECCs) for Manila Bay reclamation projects and to pursue instead its rehabilitation and restoration.
“We are here to remind the government of its mandate to protect the environment and oceans against destructive projects,” said Ronnel Arambulo, spokesperson for Pamalakaya..At least 21 ECCs for Manila Bay reclamation projects have been approved by the DENR so far, prompting Sen. Cynthia Villar to scold the agency for approving so many projects that would narrow the historic bay.
No clear solutions Among the reclamation projects with approved ECCs were the 420-hectare reclamation project in Bacoor City, Cavite; 360-hectare Pasay Reclamation Project; 318-ha Manila City Waterfront Project; and the 419-ha Horizon Manila project. According to Arambulo, they were disappointed in Environment Secretary Toni Yulo-Loyzaga, once seen as a possible champion in government, who has yet to offer clear solutions to their plight.
Peasant women’s group Amihan also scored Mr. Marcos for his poor response to the food crisis by failing to address the rising costs of production and depressed farm gate prices of agricultural products.
“It is ironic that an agricultural country like the Philippines is a net importer of its basic food needs. Thousands of tons of agricultural products are being thrown away and wasted because [they are] not bought while importation continues,” said Cathy Estavillo, secretary general and spokesperson for Bantay Bigas. KMP chair Rafael Mariano agreed, saying that “food access [was] not just about availability or affordability of food. Farmers, fishers and food producers should be in control of the production and the entire food systems.”
Passage of bills pushed
He urged the administration to buy palay from farmers at P20 per kilo and to stop the importation of rice and other agricultural products.
Meanwhile, Estavillo urged the administration to pass the food self-sufficiency bills filed by the Makabayan bloc in Congress, including the House Bill (HB) No. 1161 or the Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill, HB 405 or the Rice Industry Development Act, and HB 2024, seeking the provision of a P15,000 production subsidy for farmers and fishers.
The peasant women group also pushed for the enactment of HB 5504 seeking to exempt basic commodities such as bread, sugar, and cooking oil from value-added tax.
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