Comebacking senatorial bet Kiko Pangilinan called on the national government to provide a P500 million to as much as a P1 billion calamity or disaster fund to help address the oversupply of rice and bring down basic food prices.

In an interview on WOW Radio’s “Frontline” while campaigning in Sorsogon, Bicol Region on 29 March, the former senator explained that the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) declaration of food security emergency last month should be complemented by a calamity fund to buy up excess harvests.

“Right now, we are facing a food crisis, and this is our call to the government to declare a food emergency, a food crisis emergency. They should allocate a calamity or disaster fund — perhaps billions or at least half a billion — to allow the national and local governments to directly purchase rice from farmers in order to help resolve the oversupply situation we’re experiencing now,” he said.

As the principal author of the Sagip Saka Act, which allows the national government and the local government units to procure agricultural items directly from farmers and fisherfolk without public bidding, Pangilinan described how it could help bring down the prices of food in the market.

He said the price of rice dictates the prices of food in the market since it’s the biggest item in the country’s food basket.

The former senator also lamented that importation is being allowed amid the already oversupply of produce in farms.

“What’s happening now is that during the harvest season, imports are being brought in at the same time. Why? We already have enough supply here, so why are imports being allowed at this time?” he asked.

“When imports come in at the same time, the price of palay drops again. When the price of palay drops, it gets bought at a low price, then stored for later,” the former food security czar added.

To address the oversupply and wastage of agricultural products, as well as to bring down the high cost of rice and other food items, Pangilinan urged the government to go after smugglers and hoarders, balance importation, and support the full implementation of the Sagip Saka Act.

During his tenure as food security secretary, the country experienced its lowest rice inflation rate at 0.8 percent and lowest inflation rate at 1.5 percent in two decades.

The former senator shared that this was done after he weed out corruption in the agricultural sector by going after smugglers, hoarders and blacklisted traders.