The Philippines has been living the irony of being an agricultural and agrarian country with 70% of its population are farmers and farm workers but the country remains the top importer of rice in the world [1]. Despite being a staple in every Filipino family’s table and Pres. Marcos Jr.’s promise of bringing the price of rice down to P20 per kilo, retail is constantly skyrocketing with the inflation–while the wage of an average worker is still low. This is the current state of the agriculture in the country.

Fast forward today, the current price is at Php 50 to Php 60 per kilo. During Pres. Duterte’s term, Republic Act 11203 or the Rice Liberalization Law was passed supposedly to improve the rice production of the country. To this date, the country is still importing millions of metric tons of rice. The largest rice imported to the Philippines was 4.68 million metric tons in 2024. The lack of food security will have an impact on people’s health. One in 10 families’ experiences food insecurity [2] and this can be attributed to the rising cost of basic necessities and low wages. This leads to serious health complications like malnutrition and stunting among children. According to UNICEF, 95 Filipino children die from malnutrition every day [3].

The welfare of our farmers in the countryside is worsening: no land, unjust wage, or with little to no support from the government after the typhoons and El Niño destroyed their harvest last year. Policies like the Rice Liberalization Law are not addressing the worsening crisis not just in rice but in agriculture and only the big compradors and bureaucrat-capitalist are benefiting on these neo-liberal policies. Worse, when farmers collectively practice sustainable farming methods while asserting their rights, they face harassment, red-tagging or murder by suspected state security forces.

As stated by the World Health Organization and the United Nations, the right to health is indivisible from other human rights, including the rights to education, participation, food, housing, work and information. The right to health and the right to food are intersecting human rights and must therefore be available and accessible to all. The Coalition for People’s Right to Health calls for the government to address the rice crisis by prioritizing the agriculture and the welfare of our farmers. Junk the Rice Liberalization Law and other neo-liberal policies. We call all health advocates and allies to continue to struggle and fight for genuine agrarian reform, national industrialization, and free comprehensive national health care system for the people.##

References:

[1] https://www.gmanetwork.com/…/philippines-to…/story/

[2] https://www.wfp.org/…/wfp-philippines-food-security…

[3] https://www.unicef.org/philippines/topics/child-survival