Social entrepreneur Ana Patricia Non‘s testimony on middlemen and traders at a Senate hearing on Wednesday, April 8, 2026 on rising oil prices and food production costs drew strong backing online, with many Filipinos saying she had put her finger on a deeper problem in the country’s food system.
Appearing before the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform, the community pantry founder said the difficulties facing farmers go beyond expensive fuel, transport and farm inputs.
“Long-term na problema na po ng food system, yung nalulugi lagi yung magsasaka,” Non said.
Non told senators that organizers working directly with farmers have run into pressure from traders and middlemen who try to undercut or control farmgate buying.
“Yung vegetable cartel po nahihirapan po kami,” she said.
She described cases in which community pantry organizers were discouraged from publicly posting about direct purchases from farmers because traders later used that information to pressure those same growers into selling at even lower prices.
“So ngayon this season mas mura yung bili ko sa inyo,” she said, describing how some middlemen allegedly approached farmers after learning they had sold successfully in an earlier season.
Non said the situation has raised concerns not just about pricing, but also about the security and safety of farmers and organizers.
Reactions zero in on middlemen
Much of the social media response to the hearing fixated on that point.
Several users said Non was right to highlight middlemen, with some commenters arguing that “greedy negosyante” and traders who wait for prices to fall are just as damaging as government inaction.
Others said produce should move more directly from farmers to consumers, echoing Non’s frustration over the way direct-buying efforts can be disrupted by entrenched trading networks.
Some commenters also linked the issue to logistics, saying weak transport systems and the lack of government support for moving farm produce only deepen farmers’ dependence on middlemen.
Non stressed that the problems she raised were already embedded in the food supply system before the latest oil shock.
“Existing na problema na sa food supply natin. Hindi na po siya bago. Siguro mas lumala or na-highlight dahil sa oil crisis,” she said.
