MANILA – Some foreigners are buying and renting plots of land, which could threaten food security, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said Friday. 

A Catholic bishop this week had urged the national government to investigate foreigners who are allegedly buying lands in Taytay, Palawan. 

“May mga tinitingnan na po kaming ganyang insidente. Hindi lang sa Palawan yan, nagaganap din po yan sa ibang probinsya: Nueva Ecija at mga ibang probinsya, especially po yung mga provinces na nagpo-produce ng bigas natin,” PAOCC Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz said. 

“Hindi lang po pagbili ang ginagawa nila. Ang pauna po nilang ginagawa, uupahan po nila [ang lupa],” he told TeleRadyo Serbisyo. 

(We are looking at other similar incidents. These are happening not just in Palawan, but in Nueva Ecija and other provinces, especially rice-producing areas. They don't just buy lands. Initially, they rent farmlands.)

Foreigners would rent plots of farmland for around P80,000 to 100,000 per hectare, he said. 

“Kung ikaw po ay ordinaryong magsasaka, siyempre ito ay siguradong kita na... Pero titingnan po natin, pwedeng ma-control nila kung anong itatanim nila doon,” Cruz said. 

“Let's say yung mga dayuhan na yun magtanim ng bigas, kung lahat po ng pinagtataniman natin ng bigas inuupahan nila, sila na ang magko-control ng presyo ng bigas... Baka ma-control na nila ang food security natin,” he added. 

(If you are an ordinary farmer, this is attractive because it’s a sure profit. But foreigners could control what they plant there. If they rent all our rice fields, they can control the price of rice. They could control our food security.)

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The Palace’s anti-crime body will coordinate with the agriculture and interior departments on the issue, the official said.    

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The Philippine Constitution limits the ownership of private lands to Filipinos or corporations in which Filipinos own at least 60 percent of the capital stock.