Farmers from Occidental Mindoro have submitted a formal manifesto to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and top agriculture officials, demanding urgent government intervention to address what they describe as a deepening crisis in the country’s rice sector.

The four-page document, dated September 1, 2025, was delivered to Malacañang Palace and copied to House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mark Enverga, Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, and top officials of the National Food Authority (NFA) and Department of Agriculture.

The manifesto is an offshoot from a farmers’ consultative meeting held at the Hobbit House in Barangay Pag-asa, San Jose, where representatives from various farmers’ associations and cooperatives gathered to voice their woes about the state of Philippine agriculture.

At the heart of their demands is a call to amend the controversial Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), which farmers blame for the collapse of farmgate prices.

“Amyendahan ang Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) na hindi naging pabor sa mga magsasaka,” the manifesto says, noting that rice prices have plummeted to as low as P13 per kilogram due to cheaper imported rice flooding the market.

The farmers are demanding the restoration of the NFA’s original mandate to purchase rice directly from producers, arguing that the current system has left them vulnerable to market volatility and predatory pricing.

A critical issue pointed out in the manifesto is the storage shortage plaguing the agriculture sector.

NFA’s warehouses remain packed with stocks from 2023 and 2024, leaving no room for the current year’s harvest.

“Ang NFA ay mayroon pang natitinang stocks mula taong 2023, at wala pang nabawas ang stocks ng 2024 at sa kasalukuyang taong 2025 (summer crop) ay halos hindi pa nabibili,” the document reveals.

The farmers warn that without immediate action to clear these inventories, there’s a real possibility that their current harvest will have nowhere to go, potentially forcing them to sell at even lower prices or watch their crops spoil.

The manifesto also takes aim at what farmers see as restrictive NFA policies limiting cooperatives to purchasing just 100 bags of rice per farmer.

This quota system, they argue, fails to address the scale of their production and leaves many without adequate market access.

“Ayon sa kasalukuyang patakaran, 100 bags ng palay per farmer lang ang tatanggapin ng NFA,” the document says, calling this approach insufficient for farmers with larger harvests.

Instead, they’re requesting the establishment of dedicated warehouses, solar dryers, and mini rice mills for cooperatives to serve as alternative selling venues.

Beyond rice issues, the farmers are demanding immediate dredging operations in Occidental Mindoro’s river systems to prevent devastating floods that routinely destroy crops and livelihoods.

“Kaming mga magsasaka ang tunay na biktima ng sobrang pagbaha dito sa Occidental Mindoro kaya ang initial at naging immediate solution lang na aming nakikita ay ang dredging sa bukana ng mga ilog,” the manifesto explains.

They point to successful dredging operations in Barangay Claudio Salgado, Sablayan, as proof that the solution works, calling for similar interventions in the province.

In a pointed reminder to the current president, the farmers invoke the agricultural programs of his late father, former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

The manifesto recalls successful programs like Masagana 99, Kadiwa, KKK, and the Green Revolution as examples of genuine government support for agriculture, suggesting these programs should serve as models for current policy.

The manifesto was signed by representatives from several farmer organizations including cooperative leaders and individual cultivators.