Palace to VP: Don’t be termite, stop crab mentality

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang yesterday lashed back at Vice President Sara Duterte for linking the administration’s P20-per-kilo rice program to the upcoming midterm polls, saying she should shun crab mentality and avoid being a “termite” as President Marcos strives to fulfill his promise.

The Marcos administration has announced a plan to sell rice at P20 per kilo, one of the promises made by the President during the 2022 elections.

According to Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., the government intends to allocate P3.5 billion to P4.5 billion to subsidize the program, which will start in the Visayas region.

Duterte, Marcos’ running mate and ally-turned arch critic, assailed the initiative, dismissing it as a means to boost the chances of the senatorial candidates backed by the administration.

She has also raised the possibility of the program being a “budol” or scam and the lower priced rice being unfit for human consumption.

Speaking during a regular press briefing, Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro denied that the initiative has something to do with politics, saying the administration has long aspired to provide the public access to affordable rice.

“Now that the aspiration of the President is slowly being realized, why are they speaking negatively about it? Again, the President wants cheap rice delivered to the people. The government is working to achieve this aspiration,” the Palace press officer said.

“A true leader and a true Filipino should support a fellow Filipino, especially the leader of the country. They should not let crab mentality prevail and they should not be termites of society. Let us unite so the President and the government can achieve their aspirations for the people,” she added.

Castro dismissed claims that Visayas was chosen as the pilot area for the program because it is a vote-rich area. She said many residents in the island are in need and the National Food Authority has ample rice stock in the area. She noted that each family might buy up to 10 kilos per week, which is equivalent to 40 kilos per month.

“Why block this good initiative, this good goal of the President to provide cheap rice starting in the Visayas area? Let us not stop this, let us not bar the people from buying cheap rice. This is for the people. Let us not allow our people to go hungry,” Castro said.

Castro also assailed the Vice President’s comment that Filipinos are not animals, an insinuation that the lower-priced rice is not fit for human consumption. According to Castro, the P20-per-kilo rice to be sold is the same as the one that costs P33 per kilo.

“It doesn’t mean that if the rice is cheap, it is for animals,” Castro said. “Let us not underestimate our farmers because the rice came from the local farmers. Whoever claims that the rice is for animals is underestimating our farmers who sell to the NFA (National Food Authority), to the government.”

Castro likewise clarified that the program on lower-priced rice is not related to the double-digit drop in Marcos’ trust and approval ratings.

She urged the public not to be deceived by critics of the government, saying “fake news peddlers” may pose as buyers to make it appear that the cheaper rice to be sold is of low quality.

Tiu Laurel announced the plan to sell P20-per-kilo rice after Marcos’ meeting with 12 governors at the Cebu Provincial Capitol last Wednesday. The program will run until December but may be extended to February 2026 or even until 2028, according to the agriculture chief.

“Our President has given the directive to the Department of Agriculture to formulate this to be sustainable and to continue until 2028,” Tiu Laurel said.

The national and local governments will share the cost of subsidizing the cheap rice. Castro said Marcos wants the program to be funded in next year’s national budget.

Groups question timing, sustainability

Watchdog group Bantay Bigas yesterday questioned the timing of its implementation, saying it was announced shortly before the May 12 midterm polls and amid the low trust rating of President Marcos.

Cathy Estavillo, Bantay Bigas spokesperson, said Marcos failed for years to keep his campaign promise.

“It aims to boost the trust rating of President Marcos as based on the latest survey, his trust rating dropped by double digits,” Estavillo said.

Labor group Sentro also criticized the rollout, saying it is just a band-aid solution “designed for ballot, not to address poverty.”

“You can’t campaign your way out of hunger,” said its secretary general Josua Mata.

Mata said workers want a real and lasting solution, not just short-term stunts.

Almost halfway into his term, Marcos saw his rating drop by 17 points to just 25 percent, from the 42 percent he enjoyed in February, as shown by a Pulse Asia survey.

Estavillo said the government should ensure that the P20-per-kilo price could be sustained, not limited to certain areas and not just for the May elections.

Speaker Martin Romualdez yesterday hailed Marcos for “turning aspiration into action,” saying the move to sell cheaper rice in the Visayas is just the start.

“We will make high prices of rice a memory and history. With the help of the whole-of-government effort, this will be sustained until the program reach all corners of the country,” Romualdez said.

He added that the House is committed to supporting agricultural modernization –mechanization, high-quality seed distribution, soil-health programs and solar-powered irrigation – so the vision of abot-kayang bigas (affordable rice) endures beyond the pilot implementation.

Former agriculture secretary Leonardo Montemayor welcomed the move to sell rice at P20 per kilo, saying the effort is laudable.

“The price subsidy given to consumers must be accompanied by a commensurate support to rice farmers in order to reduce the latter’s production costs. Rice sold at P20 per kilo translates to a P10-per-kilo palay price received by farmers. This is way below the production cost of P15 per kilo,” said Montemayor who chairs the Federation of Free Farmers. – Bella Cariaso, Jose Rodel Clapano, Mayen Jaymalin