Encourage farmers to harvest their crops early and directly purchase these at fair prices, in accordance with the Sagip Saka Act, for use in relief operations in evacuation centers.
This piece of advice to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and local government units (LGUs) comes from Senator Francis Pangilinan. The senator had lobbied hard for setting floor prices at which government entities must buy from farmers in a bid to blunt the impact on them of steadily declining farmgate rates.
Pangilinan, author of the Sagip Saka Act, recalled in a recent interview how, during a previous typhoon, farmers were forced to harvest their crops early to avoid losing them entirely. However, the challenge then was where to sell their produce. To address this, Pangilinan coordinated with the Quezon City Government during the typhoon, and the LGU operated 12 to 14 hot meals kitchens serving evacuees in various centers.
‘What happened then was, the LGU bought the vegetables from the early harvest: the squash, okra, tomatos, string beans – and these were distributed in the evacuation centers as part of relief operations,’ Pangilinan said, speaking partly in Filipino.
Both farmers and LGUs benefited from this initiative, the senator pointed out. Farmers were able to sell their early-harvested crops at just prices instead of suffering losses from typhoon damage, while LGUs gained access to fresh, locally sourced vegetables for their relief efforts-ensuring healthier, freshly cooked meals for evacuees.
‘The farmers gained because their crops were bought at a fair price when they did early harvest. The local government was a winner too because it secured fresh food for hot meals that were served in evacuation centers.’
Meanwhile, he said, the recently signed twin executive orders-the Floor Price on Palay and the Sagip Saka Act Implementation-will help protect farmers from losses and ensure that they will continue to earn fair income when properly implemented.
The senator also urged national government agencies and LGUs to continue supporting local farmers, especially during these challenging times, reminding everyone that crises can also open opportunities for meaningful action.
‘We now call on the LGUs to engage the farmers, maybe they can start an early harvest and the LGU can buy these because they can use them anyway at the evacuation centers. So, early harvest and Sagip Saka – direct purchase by our LGUs.’