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“The strict lockdown crippled us. On top of the ongoing militarization in our community, it is difficult to survive. Many of us only have a handful of our produce.”
Reports from Samahan ng Mamamayang Nagkakaisa sa Sitio Buntog (SAMANA-Buntog) claim that Buntog is being “fenced off”, and goons are destroying farm plots they come across. “They’re even stealing fruits from our trees,” said Jojo de Leon, SAMANA-Buntog spokesperson, in a text message.
All six farmers are members of Samahan ng Magsasaka sa Coral Ni Lopez (SAMACOLO), a farmers’ organization that has been asserting the farmers’ rights to the 233-hectare farmland owned by landlord Luis Lopez from Balayan, Batangas.
In particular, two countries, Colombia and the Philippines, continue to top PANAP’s list of deadliest places for land rights defenders.
“Throughout the past regimes, Danding was able to amass great wealth, power, and influence after plundering the coco levy fund collected from small coconut farmers during Martial Law."
“Regional inequalities in the country can be reduced by providing economic dynamism in rural areas, which have lagged behind the urban areas and growth centers in the previous decades, leading to serious regional disparities.”
How would a small poor village be faring in the time of the coronavirus? In a community in the central Philippines, the farmers' struggle against land grabs amid threats of food insecurity has taken on greater urgency.
Amihan urged the local government units and concerned government agencies to ensure that farmers and their families will be protected against displacement and other forms of exploitation by landlords and private traders in this time of crisis.
Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) said that administrations may have changed but not the conditions of majority of the Filipino. They belied claims of the so-called “Duterte legacy,” saying that farmers are being killed and many Filipinos are still in dire poverty.
This is the second time that Philippines has been named as one of the deadliest for land rights activists. Last year, the group monitored at least 21 cases and 33 victims of killings in the Philippines from January to November 2018.
“We have to fight for our sake. We cannot just wait for them to implement land reform because they will never do it willingly.”
The demolition comes as the latest in a series of operations conducted by Royal Moluccan Realty Holdings, Inc. (RMRHI), beginning in early 2018.
"Once totally fed up, farmers could actually lead a peasant uprising in the countryside that is directed at Duterte," said Danilo Ramos, chairperson of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas.
“Even darak (ground rice bran used as pig feed) sells higher than the actual grain.”
Of the proposed P4.1 trillion national budget, P43.6 billion is allocated to the Department of Agriculture, an 18-percent increase from P36.7 billion last year. But one wonders, how much pesos will find its way to small farmers like Centino and Ortiz?
The farmers’ products were sold out with only a few hours after the market opened.
Local farmers in Sicogon island, Carles, Iloilo, lament how a tourism joint venture led by Ayala Land tramples on their rights.
The demand of peasants and agricultural workers for land for peasants, agricultural workers, and national minorities, and not for landlords.
This, they said, has only been used to virtually rob them of their lands and turn the supposed "partners" under what appears to be a lopsided deal to a mere employee, receiving pittance.
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