Former Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan is calling on local government units (LGUs), businesses, and ordinary Filipinos to buy directly from tomato farmers who are struggling with plummeting prices and oversupply that lead to enormous food wastage and financial losses.
On Friday (March 7), Pangilinan launched Operation Sagip-Kamatis, an initiative aimed at preventing 11 to 12 tons of tomatoes from Rizal, Nueva Ecija tomatoes from rotting and being thrown away.
Operation Sagip-Kamatis had the local government of Muntinlupa buy the tomatoes, now priced at P4 to P5 per kilo, at P20 per kilo thus providing urgent relief to the struggling farmers.
Tomato farmers in Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, and Nueva Vizcaya, are suffering from an oversupply of tomatoes and low farmgate prices. Many are left with no choice but to discard their harvest, leading to massive losses.
“Let’s not allow our farmers’ harvest go to waste while many are still going hungry. Hunger knows no color, the solution knows no color,” he said in Filipino.
And the solution he proposes is centered on the following sectors helping out the farmers save their produce and their livelihood:
- LGUs: Implement emergency procurement programs to buy excess tomatoes directly from farmers, using the provisions of the Sagip Saka Act to bypass public bidding. These tomatoes can be distributed to feeding programs, hospitals, and local markets.
- Private sector & businesses: Establish direct partnerships with farmers to purchase fresh produce at fair prices, preventing wastage while ensuring a steady supply for food production and processing industries.
- Ordinary citizens: Support local farmers by choosing to buy directly from them through online platforms, farmers’ markets, and community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs.
Beyond immediate relief, Pangilinan reiterated the need for structural reforms to ensure sustainable solutions for farmers:
- Market expansion: Strengthen linkages between farmers and institutional buyers such as supermarkets, restaurants, and food manufacturers to ensure stable demand.
- Cold storage & processing facilities: Establish post-harvest facilities in tomato-producing regions to extend shelf life and develop value-added products such as tomato paste and sauce.
- Stronger government support: Increase funding for transport subsidies and price stabilization programs to protect farmers from drastic price drops.
“There’s no need to choose between low food prices and sufficient farmers’ incomes. If we work together, we can ensure bountiful harvest for our farmers and abundant food at affordable prices for every Filipino family,” Pangilinan said.
The author of the Sagip Saka Act has long championed policies that empower farmers by removing exploitative middlemen and providing direct market access.
His call to action is a continuation of his advocacy for food security and farmer welfare, ensuring that agricultural produce is valued and utilized efficiently.
“If we act now, we can save a lot: the tomatoes, other crops, our kababayan’s livelihood, our own food,” he said.
