The Rice Crisis in the Philippines

I. INTRODUCTION

The Philippines is experiencing an unusual problem – high price of

rice. Unusual because the Philippines is an agricultural country endowed
with plenty of natural resources, yet it is now the world’s largest importer
of rice. What happened? Why are we experiencing this problem? Will rice
depart from Filipino tables?

The world still grows plenty of rice but the crisis is caused by
several factors. In the Philippines, the government assures that there is
enough supply for every Filipino. This, of course, is in the form of
imported rice as rice production in the country is not enough to feed the
entire population.

The Philippines has been importing rice since the Spanish period.
This continued through the American regime, and still continues until
today. The long queues of people buying rice are not new. The same
scenario happened in the 1930s, 1970s and in the middle of 1990s brought
about by weather disaster, mismanagement and corruption. At present, the
crisis is also brought about by abandonment, conversion and
reclassification of lands. Whatever the reasons for such, one thing is
certain – the use of land for rice is diminishing.

Several measures are being undertaken by the government to solve the

alarming crisis. However, real, thorough and long-lasting solutions must
be the goal, not just the government, but for all Filipinos to solve this
crisis. The goal should not just be half cup of rice; it should be rice on
every Filipino table.

II. RICE PRODUCTION IN THE PHILIPPINES

The Philippines is the world’s eighth-largest rice producer. Its

arable land totals 5.4 million hectares. Rice area harvested has expanded
from nearly 3.8 million hectares in 1995 to about 4.4 million hectares in

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2010. However, the country’s rice area harvested is still very small
compared with that of the other major rice-producing countries in Asia.
More than two-thirds (69%) of its rice area is irrigated. The country’s
production increased by a third, from 10.5 million t in 1995 to 15.8 million
t in 2010. Seventy-one percent of rice production came from irrigated
areas. Although yield improved from 2.8 t/ha in 1995 to 3.6 t/ha in 2010, it
was still way below the yield potential of modern varieties.

The Philippines imports about 10% of its annual consumption

requirements. In 2010 and 2011, the country was the biggest rice importer.
Its rice imports amounted to 2.38 million t in 2010, mostly coming from
Vietnam and Thailand. Despite these imports, rice prices for consumers
are some of the highest in developing Asia (as are farm-gate prices for
farmers). The high prices are enforced through an import control by the
National Food Authority (NFA), a government agency, which also
procures paddy from farmers at a government support price. The NFA is
also involved in rice distribution by selling rice through the agency’s
licensed and accredited retailers/wholesalers in strategic areas at a
predetermined price.

Although rice is the main staple in the country, it is a highly political

commodity. The Philippine rice sector has always been the center of the
government’s agricultural policies. The focal points of the policies revolve
around promoting rice self-sufficiency and providing high income to
farmers while making rice prices affordable to consumers. 

One of the most significant programs of the government for the

rice sector is “The Philippine rice master plan 2009-13—enhancing
provincial rice self-sufficiency.” This rice master plan envisions a 100%
self-sufficient rice economy by 2013 through improved rice productivity,
and increased income of rice farmers. This plan pursues location-specific
interventions that can help farmers achieve higher yield. It focuses on how
interventions can improve productivity toward sufficient yield. These
include improvement of the effectiveness and efficiency of irrigation
systems through rehabilitation; the use of high-quality hybrid and inbred
seeds and farmers’ varieties; integrated and sustainable crop management

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 technologies; the provision of soft loans for the establishment of shallow
tube wells and surface water pumps; and delivery of extension support
services. Rice seed subsidy schemes for farmers were implemented to
acquire high-yielding varieties, including hybrid rice varieties. 

III. RICE CONSUMPTION IN THE PHILIPPINES

Rice remains the main staple of Filipinos. The Philippines is the

eighth largest producer of rice in the world, having produced 19.832
million metric tons of rice in 2015 and with production concentrated
mainly in Central Luzon, Cagayan Valley and Mindanao. Ironically, the
Philippines is also the third largest importer of rice in the world, importing
1.8 million metric tons of rice in 2015.

Since 2000, domestic rice production in the Philippines steadily

increased. However, rice consumption also increased at a rate that was
faster than the domestic rice production. Larger rice consumption creates a
supply gap, as domestic production cannot meet growing demand. The
supply gap is being filled through rice importation, which is being
managed by the National Food Authority (NFA).

The rice supply gap is further worsened by the growing population

of the Philippines. With a 2015 population of 100,699,395 and still
increasing, domestic rice farms are further pressured to meet demand, but
they fail to do so, resulting in a supply gap. Hence, the government must
have a credible, efficient and effective population management program,
as a growing population, leads to higher demand for food, a major food
security concern.

From 2000 to 2014, the Philippines consistently have been more of

a consumer than of producer of rice. Depending on domestic production
alone will not be enough to meet the growing consumption of and demand
for rice. It will take a long time, radical measures and political will before
rice self-sufficiency, which is the ability of the country's domestic rice
production output to meet demand, and has been the one of the goals of

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 past and present governments, can be achieved.

IV. CAUSE OF RICE SHORTAGE

 Overpopulation
Over-population is when an excessive number of people
living in the same area are too crowded to the point where the area
does not have enough resources available to satisfy the needs of
the people. In the context of the Philippines, the scarcity of rice is a
result of overpopulation. The Philippines, according to the data
provided by www.worldometers.info, had an annual growth rate of
1.73% in 2014 and 2015 which is one of the highest growth rate
percentages in South East Asia with nearly 101,800,000 people as
of July 1, 2015. The more people living will result to a even more
need of supply of rice to fulfill the needs of the people which
results to the scarcity of rice products. 

 Global-warming
Another explanation to the rice shortage is global warming.
Yes, it does not only affect animals and humans, but crops as well.
How does global warming affect the production of crops such as
rice? Global warming can easily affect the production of crops as it
needs higher temperatures than most of the other crops in order to
grow properly. This is caused by the unforeseen increase or
decrease in temperature which can seriously damage, not only rice,
but most crops in the world. Based on research conducted by DM.
Olszyk and K.T. Ingram, due to the ozone layer depletion caused
by human activities, tropical countries such as the Philippines will
definitely get affected by the Ultra Violet B, or UV-B, rays from
the sun and could possibly reduce the growth of crops and affect
the production rate of rice. With the the possible decrease of the
production rate of crops, prices of crops such as rice can
dramatically increase with all the demands of the market
. 
 Natural Disasters
Natural disasters such as typhoons, earthquakes, and

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 tsunamis, are also a cause to the scarcity of food especially to the
countries where most of these disasters are frequently happening.
The Philippines is a located in the Pacific Typhoon Belt meaning
that it is frequently visited by typhoons. These typhoons and other
natural disasters can destroy the farms and fields where the farmers
grow their crops, especially corn and rice which can greatly affect
the production of the crops and its economy. Another country that
is often visited by these natural disasters more particularly
landslides and earthquakes is Haiti where most of there economy
greatly relies on Agriculture just like the Philippines. 

V. WHO ARE AFFECTED?

Rice is an essential part of a meal in the Philippines and if these

causes continue to take part in the production of rice, an even greater lack
of supply of rice can happen which can affect the price of the rice, rice
producers (farmers) and the millions of people living the Philippines. 

From the article "Rice shortages heighten political crisis in the

Philippines" dated April 8 2008 written by Oscar Grenfell, "Globally,
stocks of rice and other foods have plummeted, resulting in a steep rise in
prices.". A sudden price change can most likely happen when
overpopulation happens and there is a scarce number of a resource. How
can this happen? Let's take rice for example. When more people are living,
the more rice is demanded as it is essential for our growth, therefore the
production rate of rice should increase in order to satisfy the needs of all
the people. However, when the production of rice will not be able to cope
with the demand of the people, there will be less rice available therefore
an increase in price in the market. 

Many would think that scarcity of crops such as rice would only
bring negative effects to the people affected however this issue can also
have a positive effect to the farmers producing the rice. A positive effect
that the scarcity of rice could bring is that producers or extractors of these
resources such as farmers can create more profit as the price would
increase. This is a result to the increased demand of the people caused by

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 issues such as overpopulation. The farmers would need to produce more
rice for the people to consume and that would enable the farmers to
generate more money since more rice will be sold.

Scarcity can also bring long term effects such as the possibility of
starvation for the less fortunate people who don't have enough money to
spend for the rice. People who do not have proper jobs to spend for his or
her needs and his or her family might not be able to afford the rice which
can result to starvation and can possibly do damage to their health. If the
prices of rice continue to increase at this rate, there will be a point where
less people will be able to afford rice and many families who cannot
afford the rice will suffer from starvation which can lead to early death

VI. SOLUTIONS

A solution to this issue is to invest in in the agriculture business.

The Philippines has a lot of potential growth in the agriculture business.
Even though the country is known for its agriculture industry, there can
still be improvements to the industry. An example of these improvements
are better locations and bigger farms for the farmers. The bigger farm
lands means that there will be an increase in production as there will be
more crops to produce. This will not only increase the production of crops
such as rice but the farm animals as well as there will be more space for
animal reproduction. This will not only boost the country's agriculture but
it can also end the importations of rice from other countries. 

In the past years, the country has invested to advertise the country's
tourist spots to boost the country's tourism. Maybe if the Philippine
government would also invest in better farm lands and better tractors,
farmers will be attracted and be more motivated to produce more crops for
the country. It will also increase the country's economy since agriculture is
a primary industry of the Philippines. An example of a place the
Philippines can invest in is Mindanao, there are hectares of lands that can
be converted into farm lands. If the government happens to invest to
improve the agriculture industry, the country can increase its rice
production and will not have to depend on other countries for the rice.

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 This will also boost and make the Philippine's economy stronger since it
will end the country's imports of rice and instead, export the rice to the
other countries.

VII. CONCLUSION

Based from the above situations and conditions, the challenge

today is how will we be of help to the crisis in our own ways? Many
answers and opinions may arise from each individual, but one thing made
me encouraged that, even we, the younger generation (youth of today) can
take part in creating solutions to answer the call on global crisis. Small
potatoes as we are, can also play a role in meeting the world’s future needs
by: 1. creating in us awareness and consciousness of the crisis experienced
in the present time and how to respond for the future; 2. bringing us into a
common vision for the future of the nation and the world as a whole; 3.
emphatic emphasis on the importance of education- “objective information
or diffusion of knowledge” that is accessible to holders and to the public;
4. finding the policies and strategies by an intelligent and creative
management to the world’s agricultural systems, and; 5.innovation and
creative thinking to address serious issues that are taking place. Despite
the fact that researchers’ community had been developing and still
searching to improve variety yet still not enough. Thus, one solution to the
rice shortage is to have an alternative foodstuff other than rice on each
meal, and consuming less amount of rice.

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 The Philippine Population Growth

I. INTRODUCTION

The Philippines has one of the fastest growing populations in

Southeast Asia. From having fifty million inhabitants in 1980, the
Philippines today is home to around ninty million people with 11
million living in Manila only. Living place is becoming increasingly
satuarated. This overcrowding is causing a range of problems such as
lack of education, lack of healthcare, unemployment and general
poverty. Photojournalist Mads Nisssen visited some of these
overcrowded areas in Manila and poses the question how will it be in
thirty years time when the Philippine population is expected to have
doubled to over 180 million inhabitants.

With every passing second, there are more and more of us. By the
year 2050, the global population is expected to pass nine billion
people, a significant increase from the six-and-a-half billion today. In
the Philippines, they are already running out of space. The capital of
Manila is one of the largest and most densely populated cities in the
world.
According to the United Nations development program UNDP,
overpopulation and poverty often go hand-in-hand. The poorest
families are the ones who have the most children and subsequently
have to support more people with fewer resources. Before they even
reach adolescence, the children are doomed to a life of hereditary
poverty.

II. CAUSES OF OVERPOPULATION

There are a number of factors that contribute to

overpopulation. These are the leading causes:

 Poverty

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 Poverty is believed to be the leading cause of overpopulation. A
lack of educational resources, coupled with high death rates leading to
higher birth rates, result in impoverished areas seeing large booms in
population.
 Poor Contraceptive Use
Though the availability of contraceptives is widespread in
developed countries, poor planning on both partners’ parts can lead to
unexpected pregnancies. Statistics have shown that in Great
Britain 76% of women aged between 16 and 49 used at least one form
of contraceptive, leaving a quarter open to unexpected pregnancies.
This issue is exacerbated in underdeveloped areas. A study by the
World Health Organization (WHO) shows that this usage figure drops
to 43% in countries that are blighted by issues like poverty, which
leads to higher birth rates.
 Child Labor
As distressing as it may be to hear, child labor is still used
extensively in many parts of the world. UNICEF estimates that
approximately 150 million children are currently working, primarily in
countries that have few child labor laws.
This can result in children being seen as a source of income by
impoverished families. Furthermore, children who begin work too
young also lose the educational opportunities they should be granted,
particularly when it comes to birth control.

III. THE EFFECTS OF OVERPOPULATION

Overpopulation can have a number of effects, most of it are negative.

 Lack of Water
Overpopulation creates greater demand on the world’s freshwater
supplies. As only roughly 1% of the world’s water is fresh and
accessible, this creates a major issue.

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 Some estimates state that human demand for fresh water will stand
at approximately 70% of what is available on the planet by 2025. This
will place those living in impoverished areas that already have limited
access to such water at great risk.
 Lower Life Expectancy
While higher life expectancy is leading to increases in population
in developed countries, lower life expectancy may be caused by the
booms in population that less developed nations are experiencing.
A large proportion of the world’s population growth occurs in less
developed countries. This stretches the resources these countries have
thinner resulting in less access to medical care, fresh water, food and
jobs, all resulting in a fall in life expectancy.
 Extinction
The effect of overpopulation on the world’s wildlife is also a major
issue. As demand for land grows, so too does the destruction of natural
habitats, such as forests.
Some scientists warn that if present trends continue, as many
as 50% of the world’s wildlife species will be at risk of extinction.
Data has also been collected to show that there is a direct link
between increases in human population and decreases in the number of
species on the planet.
 Faster Climate Change
Overpopulation directly correlates to climate change, particularly
as larger nations, like China and India, continue to develop their
industrial capacities. They now rank as two of the three largest
contributors to emissions in the world, alongside the United States.
97% of the scientific community agrees that human activities are
changing global temperatures. Larger populations may speed these
changes up, especially if more is not done to reduce individual carbon
footprints on a wide scale.

IV. POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS

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 We know more about overpopulation and the effects it can have, but
what can be done about it? There are a number of proposed solutions.

 Better Sex Education

A lack of sex education – or poorly-implemented education – has
led to overpopulation issues in many countries. The issue is so pronounced
that the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is calling for
improvements to be made, particularly in poorer areas of the world.
Better education will help people understand more about the
potential consequences of having sex as they relate to child birth. It will
also do away with many of the myths that surround the sexual act and
introduce scientifically-proven methods of birth control.
 Access to Contraceptives
Access to birth control must go hand-in-hand with better sex
education. After all, without it people cannot put what they have learned
into practice.
The World Health Organization (WHO) states that 225 million
women who are living in the developing countries would prefer to
postpone giving birth but are not using any form of contraception.
 Changes in Policy
Many nations offer rewards, whether in the form of financial
incentives or increased benefits, to those who have more children. This
may lead to some couples having more children than they otherwise would
if they needed to worry about the financial consequences.
This is a difficult issue to confront. China’s “One-Child’ policy
was recently abandoned, in part, because of the restrictions it placed on
freedom, and it is likely that similar policies would be seen as equally
restrictive.

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V. CONCLUSION

Overpopulation is a crisis that potentially stands alongside climate

change as one of the biggest challenges facing humanity today.
Despite this, there is little in the way of education or dialog
relating to the issue, particularly in schools.
If this doesn’t change, the issues highlighted in this article may
continue to grow unabated. If that happens, this one issue could have a
knock-on effect that will lead to untold problems in the future.

REFERENCES:

http://www.population-europe.eu/
http://www.worldpopulationbalance.org/
https://www.populationmatters.org/
http://ricepedia.org/philippine
http://www.thelobbyist.biz/perpectives/millennial-talk/1134-on-rice-
production-and-consumption-patterns-in-the-philippines
https://glttan17.weebly.com/blog/scarcity-of-rice-in-the-philippines
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2008/04/rice-a08.html
http://dailytape.com/2011/08/18/factors-causing-the-scarcity-of-
economic-resources.html

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