Manila, Philippines – The Amihan National Federation of Peasant Women reiterated its demand for the provision of P10,000 social amelioration and P15,000 agricultural production subsidy on the 2nd year of economic lockdown and amid the endless oil price hikes affecting the prices of food and basic commodities, livelihood and household incomes of peasant women families.
“Ayuda pa rin ang sigaw ng kababaihang magsasaka ngayong ika-dalawang taon ng lockdown ni Duterte. Lalong bumagsak nga ang kabuhayan dahil sa walang tigil na pagtaas ng presyo ng langis at pagkain. Dahil militarista at palpak ang mga hakbang ng gubyerno, tumagal ang danyos ng pandemya sa kabuhayan ng mga maralitang sektor. Hanggang ngayong naka-alert level 1, hindi matapos-tapos ang krisis at inabutan na ng krisis sa presyo ng produktong langis,” Zenaida Soriano, Amihan National Chairperson said.
Amihan said that surging of prices on basic commodities was felt by peasant women in the countryside. The P80 to 90 increases in prices of super kalan LPG from December 2021 up to present is another blow on top of the bankruptcies resulted by Duterte’s lockdown policies. In Laguna, cooking oil increased by P40 per 1.5 liter from its previous prices of P130 to 170 this December 2021 to March 2022. Moreover, tilapia peasant women bought this March for P100 to 120 per kilo or with an increase of P20 to 40.
“The Duterte regime should be held accountable for neglecting the worsened condition of farmers and peasant women. The farmers and peasant women decried from the impact of RA 11203 Rice Liberalization Law which resulted to depressed palay farmgate prices, soaring fertilizer prices, and the recent impact of oil price hike to agricultural production,” Soriano added.
Amihan joined the protest in front of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DWSD) main office led by Anakpawis Party-list with its call “Ayuda, Nasaan na?” ###
