By Perfecto T. Raymundo, Jr.
QUEZON CITY – The 37th Anniversary of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) was observed by agrarian reform and human rights advocates, specifically peasants groups such as farmers and fisherfolks on Monday (June 9) to reveal the real situation of the Agrarian Reform Emancipation Act.
In a press conference in Kamuning Bakery Café, Jhun Pascua, PKMM (Pambansang Katipunan ng Makabayang Magbubukid), said for the farmers, the issue on CARP is very important for them.
Pascua added that he is wandering whether they will celebrate the 37th Anniversary of CARP or hold protest actions in the street.He cited that agrarian reform is connected with social justice, noting those who are producing food are the ones who are suffering in poverty and they are forced to sell their lands due to inability to till their own lands.
“8 million hectares should be distributed to Filipino farmers should be commensurate to feed 90 million Filipinos,” Pascua said.
“5.4 million hectares only have so far been distributed, which put the farmers further into poverty, especially in the countryside,” he added.Pascua slammed the agrarian reform cases in Tiaong, Quezon.
He stressed that the CLOA (Certificate of Land Ownership Award) which has been granted 20 years ago, is now the subject of “Bigay-bawi” (reversal).
He said that one hectare of farmland is equivalent to PHP54,000 and another PHP54,000, but to no avail, which make them even poorer and hungry. “Agrarian reform is not only about land distribution. It should be accompanied with technical support from the DAR,” Pascua said.
Pascua added that they are calling for the dismantling of the “ala Mafia group at the DAR led by Usec. Galit (Usec. for Legal).”Apung Tony Tolentino, from Aniban, Mula sa mga local na grupo (Katarungan Farmers), a farmer leader from Porac, Pampanga, expressed the hope that this time, the CARP will be implemented successfully.
Tolentino was incarcerated for 10 years starting in 2014 and he regained freedom on Feb. 9, 2025. According to him, he was charged with carnapping/kidnapping. Upon his release, he sought for a dialogue with the National DAR such that when he was detained, they had previously tilled the 1,324 hectares of sugarland, which is a plantation of sugarcane, was developed.
The 1,324 hectares of sugarland were owned by their ancestors, which were affected by the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo, which produced 80 tons per hectare with an estimated 2 bags minimum of 3,000.“During the time of President Marcos, Sr., we are producers of sugar and only Tarlac remains as the producer of sugar today,” Tolentino said.
He has already written President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. about the alleged commission of “land grabbing” in their area.Tolentino scored that the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) was the one selling their farmlands to the developers, adding that their CLOA was taken back from them at a price of PHP3 per hectare.“It seems that what the DAR is now doing is inhumane,” Tolentino said, adding that, the laws passed by lawmakers should be respected.
He called for an end to the alleged inhumane policy of the DAR. He noted that in their barangay alone, million bags of sugar are missing, forcing the farmers in their ricelands to sell their property.
Tolentino scored that one of his farmer-member was killed without attaining justice. Pabs Rosales, from Pangisda, said that CARP is 37 years old while their group is 27 years old.
Rosales admitted that they have no data on the lands acquired by Villar which were converted to residential and commercial lands.He said that the farmers and the fishermen have not graduated from their standard of living.According to Rosales, the fishing sector, during the time of President Fidel V. Ramos was exempted from CARP, which made the fishermen disqualified from Aquaculture.
“The conversion of prime lands, which are agricultural lands, is prohibited, but it is prevailing,” Rosales said.
“The ranks of the fishermen and farmers are just exchanging their ranks and they are the producers of foods, but they are the poorest in the society,” he added.
Rosales cited that DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III was not even consulting with the farmers and fishermen to know their problems.
The Koalisyon para sa Repormang Agraryo, Rosales said, would like to develop the farmlands as well as the fishing sector and the agriculture should be prioritized in the agenda of the government. Amparo Miciano, PKKK (Pambansang Koalisyon ng Kababaihan sa Kanayunan), said that the issue on Agrarian Reform is also important in the light of land conversion and women are also affected as they belong to the poorest of the poor.
Miciano added that the women are also taking responsibility for food insufficiency in their households and for their children.She stressed that the DAR is now “Department of Agrarian Reversal”, citing that the fishermen and the farmers, who are the producers of food, are the victims of social injustice themselves.
Miciano noted that food sufficiency and the survival of Filipino families are in danger. Task Force Agraryo cited that 4.6 million hectares have been distributed and 3.1 million beneficiaries, majority of which were from Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to Benigno “Noynoy” S. Aquino, Jr. – 300,000 hectares, Rodrigo Roa Duterte – 117,000 hectares, and Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. – 81,000 hectares or 20,000 to 22,000 hectares but PSA only had 7,000 hectares.
The Agrarian Reform Fund, The Task Force said, came from the ill-gotten wealth or from the PCGG (Presidential Commission on Good Government), which is PHP19 billion has no report.They stressed that Freedom of Information is also important in the issue of Agrarian Reform.###
