Farmers' group: Life hard in countryside despite improved labor statistics

Farmers harvest their crops near the 6-kilometer danger zone in Daraga, Albay, following the early morning window hours set by authorities on June 19, 2023. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/file 

MANILA — Higher participation in the labor force that the Philippine Statistics Authority noted in its May 2025 report does not mirror reality in the countryside, a farmers' organization said Sunday.

The PSA recorded a 65.8 percent labor force participation rate  — that is around 52.32 million Filipinos and the highest since April 2005.

The rate refers to the percentage of people of working age who are working or looking for work.

Fewer Filipinos jobless, underemployed in May

In a statement, Amihan National Federation of Peasant Women called the survey results "superficial" and said there is nothing to celebrate as the country's farmers work in worsening conditions.

"Marami sa mga trabahong ito ay below minimum wage, informal at di regular ang kita," said Zenaida Soriano, Amihan national chairperson.

(Many of the jobs available are below minimum wage or are in the informal sector with no regular income)

Amihan said farmworkers in Laguna only earn an average of P300 a day for transplanting palay.

The planting season lasts a maximum of two months and they will have to look for other jobs after that such as house helping, laundry, sampaguita picking, construction work, and other available blue collar jobs.

"Napakaliit ng kinikita namin sa tanim, lalo na sa mahal ng bilihin. Hindi talaga sapat kasi 'pag tapos na ang taniman, wala nang ibang pinagkakakitaan kasi pumapasok na ang harvester," Louie Rose Cortez, a farm worker in Laguna, said in the Amihan release.

In PSA's survey results, the agriculture and forestry sectors employed the most people among five sub-sectors in May 2025.

But Soriano added, there is an increase of jobs only because Filipinos were "forced to work" due to increasing prices of basic commodities.

Amihan said the PSA's 2023 data, which shows an average daily wage of P322.23 for agricultural workers, falls far below the family living wage of P1,220 for a family of five.

Soriano said Laguna farm workers who have five family members spend only around P450-500 per day, where around 80 percent is spent for food.

"Tipid na tipid na yun. Kahoy ang panluto, poso ang gamit sa tubig," she stressed.

(That is a very tight budget. They cook with firewood, use water from a deep well)

Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura, meanwhile, reported that most agricultural workers are paid the bare minimum wage as Batangas sugar workers earn P280 per day and Negros sugar workers earn P333 per day to as to low as P60 per day for weeding.

"Amihan reiterates its call to support the local agricultural production, provide support subsidies and increase the farm gate price of agricultural products especially of palay," the organization said.

"Genuine agrarian reform is necessary to attain rural development and have national industries that would offer stable jobs for Filipinos," it added.

Earlier this month, an agricultural group also said local farmers face losses as prices of palay dropped alarmingly low.

It said there are reports that several ride traders are using the government's subsidized rice program to "lowball" farmers.

'Low palay prices' seen causing losses for local farmers

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