Farmers’ network: Support us instead of demonizing us

BAGUIO CITY — A network of vegetable farmers and their supporters has appealed for government assistance as it rejected allegations that it is an anti-government organization.

“Is telling the real situation of vegetable farmers an anti-government act?” the Kanatengan Network asked.

The group expressed concern after police officers allegedly approached several of its members and circulated claims that the network was anti-government.

The organization denied the allegations, describing them as false and defamatory.

The Kanatengan Network was formed after a gathering of farmers, vegetable growers and advocates from 13 to 14 July 2026 in Bauko, Mountain Province.

The conference sought to address the worsening conditions faced by farmers in Benguet, Mountain Province and Ifugao amid rising fuel, fertilizer and farm supply costs and falling vegetable prices. Several government officials and agencies supported the gathering.

“Kanatengan” is a local term referring to vegetable gardens and farms.

On 8 August 2026, the network approved a petition for submission to the Department of Agriculture, Senate and House of Representatives.

Its demands include establishing floor prices for vegetables, imposing price ceilings on seeds and fertilizers, providing government subsidies, repairing farm-to-market roads, halting vegetable imports and stopping usurious lending practices.

The network said organizing conferences and forums and filing petitions are protected under the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech, peaceful assembly and the right to petition the government.

It stressed that raising legitimate concerns and seeking government support are part of the democratic process and do not violate the law.

The network appealed to the government and the public to help farmers whose crops have been damaged by persistent rains, leaving them with financial losses and mounting debt.