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House OKs resolution authorizing rice subsidy expenditures under 2019 GAABy Manila Bulletin

By Ben Rosario

The House of Representatives voted last night to authorize the government to spend the rice subsidy allocation under the 2019 General Appropriations Act (GAA) for the purchase of palay from rice farmers severely affected by the Rice Tarrification Law.

House of the Representatives (Manila Bulletin File Photo)

In a unanimous 206-vote, the Lower House adopted on third and final reading House Joint Resolution 22, mandating concerned government agencies and local government units to directly purchase palay from local farmers.

The resolution also provided that instead of distributing cash to the usual beneficiaries state agencies and LGUs must give away rice purchased from local farmers.

The move was the Lower House’s way of helping rice farmers who are now reeling from the low price of their produce as a result of the influx of imported rice in the domestic market.

Rice farmers have complained that prices of their harvest have gone way below the usual rates due to the impact of Republic Act (R.A.) No. 11203 entitled, “An Act Liberalizing the Importation, Exportation and Trading of Rice, Lifting for the Purpose the Quantitative Import Restriction on Rice, and For Other Purposes.”

The measure was authored by Deputy Speaker Conrado Estrella III (NPC, Pangasinan) and Reps. Rosanna Vergara (PDP-Laban, Nueva Ecija); Kristine Singson-Meehan (NP, Ilocos Sur); Wilfredo M. Enverga (NPC, Quezon) and Aleta Suarez (Lakas-CMD, Quezon).

Under HJR 22 the Lower House urged the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of National Defense (DND), Department of Transportation (DOTr), and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), in coordination with the National Food Authority (NFA) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) to directly buy back palay of the local farmers for the Rice Subsidy Program instead of cash.

The measure also provides that the distribution of rice subsidy shall be in accordance with the procedure, guidelines, and distribution system to be determined by the concerned departments and agencies, taking into consideration actual levels of production and possible areas of priority, especially in identified rice-producing provinces.

Under the 2019 budget, the total allocation for rice subsidies amounts to P33.9 billion for rice subsidies.

Bulk of the subsidy is given to the beneficiaries of the DSWD’s 4Ps. The 4Ps grants the beneficiaries rice subsidy in the form of financial assistance in the amount of P600 per month, which is equivalent to 20 kilos of rice.

Earlier, the Department of Social Welfare Development (DSWD) said P6.97 billion remained undisbursed under the rice subsidy program.

There is also P 2.89 billion rice subsidy programs for military uniformed personnel such as the provision of 20 kilos of rice per month, in the form of financial assistance, to the uniformed personnel of the Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force, Philippine Navy, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine National Police, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, and the Bureau of Fire Protection.