MANILA -- Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas Chairperson Danilo “Ka Daning” Ramos believes a farmer as senator is a person who will genuinely fight for the needs of the agriculture sector instead of people whom he says have no real knowledge in farming. 

Facing ABS-CBN’s Harapan 2025 on Tuesday, Ramos reiterated his slogan “Magsasaka, itanim sa Senado” while highligting his 40 years of fighting for farmers’ causes.

“Sa mahabang panahon, walang kinatawan ang mga magsasaka sa Kongreso, ibig sabihin sa senado,” Ramos said. “Ang mga batas na ginagawa nila ay laban sa interes namin, laban sa interes ng taumbayan. At in fact, ang nasa Committee on Agriculture Chairman at Agrarian Reform ay hindi nakaranas ng paghihirap at tingin ko walang alam tungkol sa pagsasaka. Ang inyo pong lingkod ay totoong lumaki, ipinanganak at nakatira sa farm.”

Ramos said instead of helping, several laws make things worse for farmers such as the Rice Tariffication Law, which allows the private sector to import rice subject to a tariff.

“Yung isinabatas na Rice Tariffication Law, Republic Act 11203 grabe po epekto. Hind lamang sa rice farmer, sa industirya ng bigas,” Ramos remarked. “Grabe po epekto sa’min. Ang daming ginagawa nilang batas pero ang tinatamaan ang magsasaka, masang anakpawis kaya kailangan po ang nasa Senado ay may alam sa tunay na kalagayan at yung batas na gagawin, titiyakin na para sa interes ng taumbayan.”

Farmers already have a hard life, according to Ramos.

“Isang kahig isang tuka. Mahirap. Kami po ang mga magsasaka, baon sa utang. Kasi po una, eight out of ten farmers, hindi kanya ang lupa,” he said.

He added that farmers get indebted through loans because there is allegedly no significant government production subsidy.

They also lose the little they are expected to earn when calamities hit such as the series of typhoons last year.

In order to help farmers, Ramos wants President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to issue a temporary suspension against the Rice Tariffication Law.

“Kaya lang walang political will,” Ramos stated. “Naiisip kong panukala ay Rice Industry Development Act. Ang main component po nito, food security towards self-sufficiency hanggang self-reliance. Ang konsepto ng gobyerno sa food security dalawa—produce locally and imported. Ang masama po ito kahit mayroon tayo, angkat nang angkat.”

He cited onions, for example. According to Ramos there is enough supply of onions in Pangasinan, Mindoro and Nueva Ecija but the country continues to import.

He also said that in 2023, there were 2.5 metric tons of domestic sugar enough to meet the need of 2.2 metric tons, yet the government still supposedly imported.

“Ang tinatamaan po ay ang magsasaka at ang consumer,” Ramos said.

“Hanggang ngayon hindi totoong bumababa ang presyo ng bigas. Ang nakikinabang traders, rice cartel pero ang magsasaka, ang consumer ang talo at agrabyado.”