EXCERPT OF RADIO INTERVIEW WITH JULIUS BABAO AND ZEN HERNANDEZ

SEN KIKO: Sabi [ng anak kong si Frankie when she was nine years old], we should treat our farmers like our parents because they're the ones who feed us. But when you think about it, is that how we treat our farmer? Ang tingin natin sa farmers natin, in fact 'yung mga terminology nung mga farmer--

JULIUS: Parang hindi nga naiisip, Senator 'yung farmer eh. Wala sa isip ng tao.

SEN KIKO: Kasi masyadong mababa ang turing natin sa mga magsasaka kasi nga naghihirap, naghihikahos. In fact ang termino nga sa pinakamababang uri ng pagkatao sa ating bansa ay ano: hampaslupa. Pero ano ang ibig sabihin ng hampaslupa? Yung nagbubungkal. Bakit ang sama?

Unlike Thailand for example, sabi nung former king: The backbone of the nation is the farmer. Sa China naman, sabi ni Confucius: The number one profession is the teacher, eh syempre teacher siya eh, because the teacher feeds the mind. The number two is the farmer because the farmer feeds the body. Tapos sabi niya, the number three is the businessman because he feeds himself.

JULIUS: Senator, magkakaroon ba ng investigation ang Senado rito?

SEN KIKO: Ang pagkakaintindi ko, the current chairman, si Senator Villar ng agri committee--'yun lang ang nabasa ko sa dyaryo, hindi ko pa siya nakakausap--she's going to look into this. So we would like to encourage this para malaman natin: Number one, do we really have to import; and number two, ano 'yung sufficiency level; and number three, ang paliwanag sa atin is there is enough commercial rice but of course we would like to make sure that the inexpensive, affordable NFA rice is also present. Hindi pwedeng mawawala 'yan. Plus 'yung buffer stocking mo, talagang kinakailangan 15 days 'yan. Mandated 'yan by the LEDAC nung panahon pa ni Ramos. 15 days during harvest season, and then 30 days during the lean months. Lean months, ibig sabihin nun, walang ani dahil tag-ulan at hinihintay pa 'yung aanihin. Medyo 'pag wala pang masyadong inaani, mababa 'yung supply dapat mayroong buffer stocking.

ZEN: Saka 'yung mga Senador natin can look into yung parang investing sa ating farmers.

SEN KIKO: For example lang, just to give you an idea. Yung ating storage, how do we store our rice? Sa ibang bansa, may silo. 'Yung silo, ipapasok mo doon sa ibabaw 'yung pinakabago tapos 'yung pinakaluma, pinakahuli, 'yun ang unang lalabas. Eh sa atin, yung warehouse natin sa NFA eh 'yung pinakabago, nandoon sa ibabaw.

ZEN: Hindi mo makuha 'yung ilalim.

SEN KIKO: Hindi mo makuha 'yung ilalim dahil 'yung ilalim 'yun 'yung pinakaluma. Eh 'di ang laki ng wastage mo. So ito 'yung technology, and provide the necessary push para talagang we lower our wastage.

Alam mo wastage natin ironic. Ano ang ibig sabihin ng wastage? 'Yung napo-produce natin na hindi nagiging bigas kas nasasayang is almost a million metric tons. Which is about the amount of rice we had to import. So if you cut your wastage by half, then pretty much, you will cut your import requirements by half.

ZEN: And we're almost near self-sufficiency if ganoon.

SEN KIKO: During our watch, we made sure that government bought low pagka nag-import. Kasi 'pag ikaw ay nag-import ng mataas 'yung presyo, ang signales ng merkado, eh ang gobyerno mataas bumili so dapat mataas din ang benta lahat. During our watch, we were able to reduce the cost to import rice by 120 dollars per metric ton on average and the data will bear us out. And we import a million metric tons. So you do the math.

We were able to bring down government purchases of rice on my watch by as much as--well at least nung mga unang purchase--mga six billion total. Na kung six billion na mataas namin binili 'yon, dahil hindi namin napababa 'yung presyo ng importation, eh 'di yung merkado rin ang senyales dapat mataas din ang benta. Pero dahil binagsak natin, and finally from 2014 our inflation of rice was almost 20 percent, 15-18 percent. The year later, it was 0.8 na. So it's a combination of managing your rice supply correctly; importing at the right time, huwag during harvest season kasi makikipagkumpitensya ka sa farmers; making sure you import ahead, ibig sabihin bibilhin mo nagyon pero ipapa-deliver mo 5-6 months from now. Hindi pupuwede--

JULIUS: Senator

SEN KIKO: Yes. Anyway, baka overtime na tayo.

JULIUS: Bago tayo magpaalam, iko-congratulate ko lang si Mega. Pinag-uusapan 'yung commercial ah.

SEN KIKO: Ah yes. Oo.

JULIUS: Pakisabi kay Mega congratulations sa kanyan bagong commercial.

SEN KIKO: Thank you. Ipapaabot ko 'yung congratulations dahil sabi ko nga sa post ko sa social media, for the best actress nomination and of course for the successful launch of her new McDo commercial. Talagang I'm very proud and congratulations to her.

ZEN: Eh may tanong si Julius eh.

JULIUS: Hindi ka naman nagselos?

SEN KIKO: Ay nako, hindi na siguro. Matanda na tayo. 50 plus na tayo. Saka sa akin, husbands and wives support one another. 'Yan ang importante.

JULIUS: Yan ang the best advice. Pero okay lang kung gumawa sila ng pelikula kasi ang balita gagawa raw ng movie.

SEN KIKO: Eh kung ganun kainit yung [pagtanggap] eh 'di dapat lang. They're in the showbiz industry and the public has a clamor for it, I think they should heed the clamor of the public. Sabi nga four million hits daw, or views.

ZEN: Grabe nga. And it's their profession naman eh.

SEN KIKO: Kaya nga, it's an indicator. And ultimately, you're right, it's their profession and there's a clamor from the public, so suportahan natin.

Sabi ko nga, I have the final say in everything in our marriage. Alam mo ba 'yon?

JULIUS: Ano 'yon, pa'no?

SEN KIKO: Yes dear.

JULIUS & ZEN: [Laughs]

SEN KIKO: At saka ang aming arrangement sa marriage namin, simpleng-simple lang. Ginagawa ni Sharon nag gusto niya, at ginagawa ko yung gusto niya.

JULIUS: Okay yan ah. Okay yang advice na yan.

SEN KIKO: Walang kumplikasyon.

JULIUS: Thank you so much, Senator.

SEN KIKO: Thank you din at magandang umaga sa kanilang lahat.