MANILA — Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan renewed his call for stronger government measures to raise the income of Filipino farmers, stressing that empowering agriculture workers is key to ensuring food security and rural development.

During his interpellation of Senator Raffy Tulfo’s privileged speech on proposed amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), Pangilinan said government interventions in agriculture should be assessed based on their impact on farmers’ earnings.

He cited best practices in China, Vietnam, and Thailand, where governments measure agricultural success through increased farmer income.

“Pinakain ang mamamayang Pilipino pero ano ang sinukli ng lipunan? What did society, in return, give them (farmers) for their sacrifice?,” Pangilinan said. “Anong klaseng lipunan ang sasabihing katanggap-tanggap ito? Kaya ito ang dahilan bakit nais nating imbestigahan ang isyu na ito at magawan ng paraan.”

In the 20th Congress, Pangilinan filed a Senate resolution seeking to investigate and potentially amend the RTL. He also wants to revive the regulatory powers of the National Food Authority (NFA) to help secure and stabilize the rice supply.

“Our farmers have been unjustly denied the support and the recognition of a society who has been fed by them. Makakaasa kayo na we will look into this and find solutions and recommend solutions,” said Pangilinan, who chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform.

“Your Committee on Agriculture will actively pursue the issue of the Rice Tariffication measure and how we will address the challenges of reforming or amending or revising it, so we can address the gaps,” he added.

A longtime advocate of rural development, Pangilinan has pushed for cluster farming, where small farms are organized into cooperative production areas to improve access to markets and boost profitability.

He also called for an investigation into the failure to fully implement the 2019 Sagip Saka Act, which he authored to enable national and local governments to buy directly from farmers and fisherfolk.

Pangilinan has filed a separate resolution to look into rising food prices and the impact of commercial fishing within the 15-kilometer municipal waters on small-scale fishers.

His other proposed measures include the Libreng Almusal Act, the creation of the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, the Agricultural Land Conversion Ban, and the Post-Harvest Facilities Support Act.