Farmers and Fisherfolks are also COVID-19 Frontliners! Support our Farmers!

On March 17, 2020, the Philippine government placed Luzon on enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) to slow down the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. This Luzon-wide ECQ further endangers the income and livelihood of our farmers already reeling from limited support to the agricultural industry and slow progress of pro-farmer reforms.

More than a week after the start of the ECQ, numerous stories of farmers forced to throw their agricultural products away have gone viral on social media. These reports are not new. However, the uncertainty brought about by the COVID-19 crisis could aggravate the dire situation of our farmers and by extension, our food security.

We need to show up for our farmers now just as much as we have shown our solidarity with health workers, supermarket employees, and media workers during this crisis. If not, we could be facing a food security emergency in a few months.

The Scarecrow Campaign urges the national government and local government units to:
• Facilitate the sales and distribution of agricultural products;
• Assist in building links between farmers and mobile markets to bring agricultural products closer to quarantined families;
• Ensure fair pricing of agricultural products;
• Provide emergency unconditional cash assistance  to farmers for the duration of the crisis.

We call on the government to set clear plans, guidelines, strategy and timeline of such promises to avoid confusion from our farmers and fisherfolks. The budget allocation from the Php275 billion funds must also set for the quick response intervention promised by the president on his press briefing last March 30. The Department of Agriculture stated in a Press statetement released on April 30 that there  is a Php 1 Billion fund allocated for loan assistance to our farmers and fisher folks.  

The government's response is always in form of credit subsidy/ loan, they have forgotten that even before the crisis the farmers are already burdened by piling debts. The pandemic decelerated the economy creating harsh impacts on the lives of daily wage earners, laborers in the informal economy and most especially on the livelihood of our farmers and fisher folks. Now more than ever, the government must ensure that our food producers are able to cope with the current crisis. We would like to call on the Department of Agriculture and the Office of the President to provide subsidy in form of emergency unconditional cash transfer to our farmers and fisherfolks. We would like to emphasize that our farmers and fisherfolks needs to be ameliorated from previous debts before a new one comes in. Subsidy through emergency unconditional cash transfer is what they need to cope with the harsh impacts of the crisis on their livelihood.

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The Scarecrow Movement also calls on the government to put their words into actions and to further clarify their promises to the backbone and one of our society’s frontliners, the farmers and fisherfolks who are the main producers of our food and sustenance. 

The promised social amelioration should be done systematically so that the taxpayer’s money and assistance would be given to intended beneficiaries which are small scale farmers and municipal fisherfolks. This is ensuring that the granting of these kinds of assistance will not be politicized, a usual practice in during disasters and calamities. The health and welfare of farmers and fisherfolks must also be ensured. We cannot afford for them to stop working. It will hurt the economy and proper nutrition is vital in the fight against covid-19.

Food security plays a great role in achieving this.
Facilitate and support LGUs in the purchase , mobility and distribution of agricultural and fishery goods to ensure fair pricing for both farmers and fisherfolks and consumers.  Lastly, the government should be proactive in formulating plans and preparations for the incoming dry season for the agriculture and fisheries sector. This has always been a problematic time due to climate change and the COVID-19 crisis adds to the complexity of the situation. 

We are counting on the government and the President Duterte’s promise.
“We have not forgotten you and the government is employing quick response measures to help you during the crisis, as well as ensure food productivity, availability and sufficiency during the pandemic. Andito ang gobyerno para sa inyo…”
Farmers and fisherfolks plays an important role in our society even without the COVID crisis. Ensuring there welfare is the least we can do during this crisis.