This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. VII, No. 12, April 29-May 5, 2007
Cordi Farmers Want RP Out of WTO
Farmers from six Cordillera provinces have
forged a declaration against bilateral agreements on agriculture with other
countries, particularly the impending ratification by Senate of the
Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) and the country's
membership to the World Trade Organization (WTO).
BY LYN V. RAMO LA TRINIDAD, BENGUET(250
kms. north of Manila)-- Farmers from six Cordillera provinces forged a
declaration against bilateral agreements on agriculture with other countries,
particularly the impending ratification by Senate of the Japan-Philippines
Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) and the country's membership to the World
Trade Organization (WTO) here. Some 1,000 farmers gathered
for the Cordillera Peasant Summit April 25 at the San Jose Gym in Buyagan, this
province after a motorcade from Baguio City, the venue of this year’s Cordillera
Day celebration, and vowed to campaign against the liberalization in
agriculture. They also called for the abrogation of Philippine membership in the
WTO, which they claimed has been the culprit behind many farm woes not only in
the Cordillera and the Philippines but also in other Third World countries.
“We affirm our stand that
the policy of liberalizing agriculture is oppressive, immoral, anti-farmer and
anti-rural people, and a sellout of our sovereignty and patrimony,” the La
Trinidad Rural Peoples' Declaration read. The farmers are
apprehensive of the effects of impending bilateral free trade agreements with
WTO member countries China, Korea, India, Australia, and the U.S. “These will
add to the people's miseries,” they said referring to the agreements. Federated under the
regional peasant alliance Apit Tako, or the Alliance of Peasants in the
Cordillera Homeland, both vegetable and rice farmers from Baguio City, Benguet,
Abra, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Kalinga and Apayao signed the declaration,
which also called for the people’s “continuous participation in developing a
responsive agricultural system, which is not destructive to the environment.” “We shall continue to
prevent the destruction of our lands by large-scale extractive projects,” the
farmers' declaration read, largely referring to large-scale mining and dam
projects, which has inflicted economic dislocations in the Cordillera.
Fernando Bagyan, convener
of the regional Pambansang Ugnayan ng Mamamayan Laban sa Liberalisasyon sa
Agrikultura (Pumalag) said the price of palay and legumes remain low due to the
introduction of hybrid varieties and the importation of rice and legumes
resulting from bilateral trade agreements. Benguet farmers suffer the
direct effects of trade liberalization, according to Bagyan. He noted that
imported temperate vegetables from China has started to flood the Philippine
market even before the 19 agricultural agreements with that country. “Tuloy-tuloy
a maluglugi dagiti ag-gargarden ti Benguet” (Benguet’s vegetable farmers are
continuously losing), Bagyan said of the resultant effect of the GATT (General
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade)-WTO. Benguet Board Members John
Kim and Wasing Sacla agreed with the farmers that WTO did not benefit any
farmer. Although Sacla said he is not against WTO, he acknowledged it “ran over
the livelihood” of many farmers. Also in the peasant summit
are representatives of the fisherfolk alliance Pamalakaya, the Kilusang
Magbubukid ng Pilipinas(KMP or Philippine Peasant Movement), and the party-list
group Anakpawis (Toiling Masses), whose fourth nominee Fernando Hicap spoke in
behalf of Rep. Rafael Mariano. Northern Dispatch /Posted by Bulatlat © 2007 Bulatlat
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Northern Dispatch
Posted by Bulatlat