The Philippine Rice Crisis: Pay the Price

Rice accounts for up to 40% of the calorie intake of Filipinos. Meals are incomplete without it.

The Philippines had gone from being a major exporter of rice in the 1960's to the world's largest importer today. This dependence makes the country vulnerable to price and supply fluctuations in the world market.

Lack of focus on food security by successive Philippine governments contributed to this dependence.

We need to increase agricultural output to re-join the ranks of the regions major rice producers to which we once belonged. Our future as a truly free and independent society depends on it.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• rice
• crisis
• philippines
• filipino
• bigas
• food
• arroyo

[lakanino]

i'm not against finding substitute for rice but, if we replace rice with potatoes, beans, noodles, or bread, where will we get substitute? we end up with the same dilemma, import stuff, whether it be rice or a substitute. so whats the point of changing our staple, if we're just going to import a substitute for the rice also?

[benign00]

You highlighted a point we were trying to make as well -- that the Philippines has since lost its ability to be food-secure. So even a search for alternatives may still lead us down the path of importation. That said, there is also a risk involved in having all our eggs in one basket -- an unhedged dependence on a single staple (just like how our dependence on sugar exports back in the 70's) makes us vulnerable.

[Banakal76]

Where are you going to get the pasta for 80 million people? Its most popular source, wheat, is not cultivated in the Phils (not even sure if it would grow there). How would you implement your ideas if you're running the country?

[benign00]

I don't think all 80 million Filipinos are starving, so I don't really think all 80 million people need to be supplied with pasta.

The point I make is that we have all our eggs in one basket. When that commodity's price fluctuates, we feel the pain all at the same time and are hard-pressed for options.

[dracoshottie]

that's right...we might as well think of alternatives..

[kaHugongUhugin]

Tama na may mga mungkahi tayo sa long range solution sa rice crisis. Subalit ang commentary ay kung papaano malulutas ang crisis sa bigas NGAYON. Hindi pupuwede ang substitution for rice NGAYON, Dahil hindi sapat ang substitutes...iaangkat rin ang mga yan. Dapat sigurong ang tanong ay..Papaano ba natin maiiwasan ang crisis sa bigas sa mga darating pang panahon? Dahil sa ngayon ang kailangan natin ay "leverage" sa ating mga trade practices..para dumagsa ang bigas.

[mad8london247]

Filipinos need to learn to eat other staples like Potatoes, yams and other root vegetables.

Less water usage and better than just having rice.

The Brazilians like having rice and potatoes as staples.

Preferably we get up to 60 per cent of our energy out of carbohydrates. Starch is an complex carbohydrate mainly available in potatoes, cereals, legumes and certain vegetables such as pumpkin.

End result: Better for the water usage in the Philippines and healthier Flips.

[LeMuSunda]

Substituting rice with bread, pasta, and noodles won't make a difference, filipinos will still import these. It's derive from wheat, a plant that grows on temperate zone & not in the tropics like the Philippines. Plants like potatoes and corn on the other hand will work fine. But what is the use when the govt. focus only on urban development ( NCR) and leave the rural areas behind. Plus corruption, some politicians in rural areas have their own private armies and treat poor farmers like shit.

[LeMuSunda]

One major problem is the rice hoarding. These are business men who illegally hide thousands of bag of rice in a warehouse. It's their diabolic strategy to raise the price of rice telling people that the supply is not enough for the demand, therefore giving them reason to jack it up. The government should focus more on this kind of illegal activity, and put a heavy fine on those who are caught.

[LeMuSunda]

I don't know if the agrarian reform has been push through. The last time I heard the govt. was hesitant to do it in favor of the greedy land owners. Now if it's always like that it's not a surprise that the Philippine's food production will decline. Because of hard life the farmers will want their children not to follow their path & send them to the city like everyone else, or they themselves will make that decision. They end up as under paid laborers living in squatter areas, it's so sad.

[Archangelicque]

@kayumanggi2010

I believe a big chunk of the people who eat rice America are Hispanics and Asian migrants. Most Caucasians have potato, pasta, bread or mixed vegetables as their staple food. However there is an increase in rice in-take mainly because there are more choices in America nowadays, go to the mall and lots of places now offer rice in their menus.

Plus theres an increase in popularity of world food, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Indian, and Chinese food is very popular in America.

[inewkiller]

98% filipino's eat rice!! without rice they cant eat meat or any meals...

[sakubatzumatsu]

@jar3ko25 nyahaha..kaya pala may accent sya eh..XD

[acuhxipitchy]

anung application ginamit d2?

[shaleecious]

this is so so true. now that i'm living here in the states, i'm probably just eating rice just 2 to 3 times a week. And now, i'm still insisting my family over there that they can live without eating rice that often. And it's not that healthy anyways. Most Filipinos are prone to diabetes now a days, Craving and Thinking Rice as our source of our energy through the day is just in our minds. I hope filipinos will try other one meal dish as well, especially without rice.

[jar3ko25]

putcha buti -pa ung daga naka punta nang america at australia , hahaha

[crackhouse000]

i didnt know na ang maliit na bahay nya ang laki pala sa loob

ahahaha

[kayumanggi2010]

1. China is the #1 producer and consumer of rice, while Japan even venerates rice, so using those as examples don't make sense.

2. Rice consumption in America has soared 400% since the 1970s and continues to increase every year. They now sell big bags of rice in mainstream grocery stores.

So, it's not just the Philippines who's so stuck on rice.

[kayumanggi2010]

1. China is the #1 producer and consumer of rice, while Japan even venerates rice, so using those as examples don't make sense.

2. Rice consumption in America has soared 400% since the 1970s and continues to increase every year. They now sell big bags of rice in mainstream grocery stores.

So, it's not just the Philippines who's so stuck on rice.

[leus08]

"susmaryosep!!" hahaha XD

[vbjt]

1. It is not true that the Philippines was a major rice exporter in the 1960s. The country has always been an importer, except for just one year, in late 1970s. Our archipelagic geography is just not suited to rice production. And bad policies make problem worse.

[wearecrazedforrice]

this needs to be spread around

[kewlkewl12]

so you import billions of them instead of importing capital investments? wow, brilliant economics.

[FreeSince09]

it simply isn't profitable to plant rice... simple economics

[maximusdarkultima]

'tis true... but the blame is also on those corporate bastards who bought most of the lands that used to be fields of rice that can feed the people...

[FantomShadowz]

well the whole world better watch out especially with limited seed variety and companies like monsanto balancing are lives on the edge of the table

[sunatsubu]

kaya kasi nawawalan na tayo ng bigas eh dahil sa ang mga bukid ay nagiging subdivision na...dumadami na ang mga tao...kaya nga cguro humanap na ng alternatibong pagkain...pero bigas talaga ang nakasanayan kong kainin...tsk

[Flipsify]

The Philippines should learn from countries like Thailand (leading rice exporter) how they progressed substantially by focusing to have a self sufficient economy starting by helping farmers expand their lands, investing more using advance technology on agriculture and changing the provisions in the Philippine Constitution regarding contraceptives and abortion, or establishing family planning programs in slum areas to provide the people knowledge and support in order to control the population.

[ultimaterobloxian]

agreed really....

we have some spanish words