Abalos Senate bid gets boost from Filipino farmers, party-list groups
Benhur Abalos with supporters
MANILA, Philippines – In the country’s rice granary, senatorial candidate Atty. Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. secured a powerful endorsement from local farmers this week, as he vowed sweeping reforms in agricultural sector, including urgent amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL).
In a dialogue in Nueva Ecija, known as the country’s rice granary, various farmers’ groups raised Abalos’ hand in a symbolic show of support, with others praising for confronting a law they say has driven many of them into debt and despair.
Benhur Abalos with supporters
“The solution is simple,” Abalos told the farmers. “Give the NFA the power to buy palay at a fair price and sell it directly to the people. No need for warehouses. You help the farmers and provide affordable rice for consumers.”
“Umiikot ang pera. Nakatulong ka na sa mga magsasaka. Nakatulong ka pa sa ordinaryong Pilipino na nangangailangan ng bigas. Hindi kailangan pagdebatehan ito,” Abalos added.
Benhur Abalos
The Rice Tariffication Law, enacted in 2019, liberalized rice imports but has since drawn criticism for weakening the local rice industry.
Abalos, a former DILG secretary, said the government must act before the country becomes fully dependent on imports.
Abalos said the law’s failure to adequately support local producers and ensure fair market conditions for farmers demands immediate legislative action.
“Let us not wait until farmlands disappear and everything on our tables comes from imports,” he said. “If that happens, the entire country will suffer. We must ensure food sustainability. And the only way to do that is to support our farmers.”
He stressed that the National Food Authority should be empowered not just during emergencies, but as a proactive mechanism to stabilize farmgate prices and ensure food security.
“Ipaglalaban ko na masuportahan kayo pagdating sa produksyon, abono, at mga pasilidad. Hindi lang ito usapin ng pagpapalakas ng sektor ng agrikultura—dapat tiyakin na may sapat na pondo ang NFA. Mahalaga na agad naibebenta ng NFA ang palay para mabilis umikot ang pera at makinabang ang mga magsasaka. Tandaan n’yo po, sa araw na ito, kasama natin ang pamahalaan—sa pamamagitan ng DA at NFA—at yan din mismo ang aking paninindigan. Ako mismo ang magsusulong ng mga kinakailangang pagbabago sa Rice Tariffication Law,” he stressed.
During the dialogue, Abalos also laid out a comprehensive plan for agricultural development. He proposed discounting real property taxes for agricultural landowners, offering educational assistance and allowances for farmers’ children, expanding access to credit and insurance for small farmers, and passing the long-delayed National Land Use Act to protect agricultural lands from commercial conversion.
“This is about survival—not just for farmers, but for the entire country,” Abalos said. “We need to make sure our agricultural system remains strong. Let me be your voice in the Senate. I will use my experience and track record of service to fight for the needs of those who have long been left behind.”
For many of the attendees, it was a rare moment—few leaders or candidates take the time to step into the fields and engage them in genuine, face-to-face conversation.
The Magsasaka Party-list threw its support behind Abalos, with party leader Leony Montemayor expressing confidence in his commitment to reform. “We are with Secretary Abalos in pushing for meaningful change in our rice industry,” he said in Filipino.
