Romualdo Santos, 54, has been cultivating his quarter-hectare land in Aliaga, Nueva Ecija since his youth. Today, the thought of selling the farm he tilled for decades is crossing his mind more and more often.
“Mahal ang patubig, mahal ang punla, mahal ang pataba,” he said. “Kaya minsan, iniisip kong ibenta na lang yung lupa kasi hirap ding kumita ng sapat kung lahat na lang ng kailangan mo ay mahal.”
More workers in the agriculture sector like Romualdo are feeling the same sentiments. The sector continues to deal with heavy blows as its labor force dips yet again, according to the latest April 2024 labor force survey (LFS) of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) released on June 6.
The April LFS showed that the agricultural sector suffered the highest decrease in the annual labor force, with more than 810,000 workers leaving the industry since 2023 (see sidebar). On the other hand, accommodation and service industries’ labor force increased by more than 600,000 workers.
Because with meager pay for food produce, farmers, fisherfolk, and foresters are forced to seek other lucrative work. Romualdo sells rice at around P25 per kilo, before it is sold in the market at P46. The disparity in prices is heightened by the Rice Liberalization Law, which further allowed the importation of cheaper rice.
This, in the face of growing concern over the national food crisis. In April, the Philippines recorded a 6.3-percent inflation rate on food prices, relative to the 5.7-percent rate in March.
“Isipin mo yun, ikaw ang nagtanim at nag-ani pero di mo kayang bumili ng bigas,” Romualdo said. “Ang hirap lalo na kung wala kang ibang pagkakabuhayan liban sa pagtatanim.”
The recent three-month El Niño did not help in trying to regain farmers’ capital. Early April, the Department of Agriculture bared that around P2.63 billion worth of crops were lost due to the heat wave.
Speaking before farmers during the inauguration of a new irrigation system in Cagayan last June 10, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he is following his father’s footsteps in prioritizing agriculture. But almost two years into his administration, which he began simultaneously as the agriculture secretary before relinquishing the post, no concrete plans for the agricultural sector have been laid out.
According to PSA, 63.6 percent of laborers in the country are wage and salary workers, taking the largest share of the labor force once again.
“Kung sa bayan ako magtatrabaho, mas okay kasi stable ang kita, yun nga lang ay matanda na ako tapos maliit pa din ang sweldo sa probinsya,” said Romualdo.
In Nueva Ecija, the daily minimum wage is still at P470 for agricultural labor while nonagricultural workers earn P500, according to the National Wages and Productivity Commission. In the face of a national average for daily expenditure of P1,208, workers are forced to take extra jobs or sell their properties to get by as wages do not improve to accommodate the inflation rate.
Without genuine agrarian reform, Romualdo and other laborers will be forced out of their farms and into salary-based jobs. Romualdo knows that the food he harvests is essential to the economy, but without help from the government, he fears that this is now the end of the line.
“Mahirap magtanim, pero mas mahirap kung walang tulong na natatanggap,” said Romualdo. “Sa ngayon, hindi ko alam kung anong gagawin ko sa farm kung patuloy na ganito kalala ang sitwasyon naming magbubukid.” ●
First published in the June 19, 2024 print edition of the Collegian
