Farmers hit government's land reform program
On Mendiola Massacre 21st anniversary
Around 300 farmers and farm workers today mark the 21st anniversary of Mendiola Massacre that happened on January 22, 1987. On that day, their demand for a genuine agrarian reform was met by bullets when military and police forces of the Aquino government guarding the vicinity opened fire on them on the Mendiola bridge, immediately killing 13 farmers while many others were wounded.
Up to now, land problem is still widespread. According to Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) chairperson Rafael Mariano, 60% (accounting to almost 9 million hectares) of all agricultural lands are still in the hands of only 13% of the total big landowners.
In Iloilo province, DAR reported that 35% of its supposed beneficiaries have been compelled to sell their lots. Lucia Capaducio, secretary general of Paghugpong sang mga Mangunguma sa Panay kag Guimaras (Pamanggas), citing their group's research study, said that "this is because [1] there is long-standing absence of much-needed support services coming from the government, [2] there is payment obligation, of which farmers could not pay religiously because it is just a small piece of land they're tilling that production could not definitely suffice to meet their basic needs that paying amortization is but another pack of burden and [3] there is an ever-rising cost of production that includes high-priced farm inputs because of EVAT, successive oil price hikes, among others".
GTZ, a German-based technical assistance group, who conducted a study on CARP implementation, reported that of the supposed 3.1 million beneficiaries of CARP, 66% have not received any support services from the government.
Susanito Talibo, Pamanggas chairperson, also said that "land reclassification is just like an axe cutting down our remaining hope for land. This was even legalized in view of DAR's conversion order through CLUPPI, saying that all lands reclassified after June 15, 1988 have to be covered for conversion. In practice, it favors landowners to reclassify their landholdings with the proper government agency on the intention of avoiding land reform. What once to be an agricultural land is converted to industrial, commercial or industrial use. To date, the DAR already approved 48,767 hectares of land for conversion."
"Until today, genuine land reform remains an illusion to millions of farmers all over the archipelago," Talibo concluded.