Farmers’ group hit DA, DAR, DENR for onerous RP-China deals

            The Task Force Food Sovereignty (TFFS), a network of farmer organizations and peasant support NGOs and individuals which campaigns  for food security based on achieving genuine agrarian reform and rural development,  has staged a successful picket/rally in front of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the Department of Agriculture (DA)  around 9:00 in the morning to 12:00 noon today February 8, 2006.

            More than two hundred farmers gathered as early as 9:00 a.m. in front of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) and marched towards DAR. The group called for the scrapping of the farm agreements signed by and between the Philippine government and China that promote investments of Chinese corporations at the expense of the rights of the landless peasants and poor farmers and fishers in the Philippines.

            The group tried to seek audience with DAR Secretary Nasser Pangandaman but was prevailed upon by security men who had the steel gate closed and secured upon seeing the protesters. The marchers had intended to ask Pangandaman why he agreed to ink anti-farmer deals with China considering that DAR still struggles to distribute more than 1.3 million hectares of the remaining target for land distribution and faces more than 700,000 hectares of backlogs in its land acquisition and distribution.

            In an outburst of fury, the agitated farmers led by Eduardo Mora of the Pambansang Kaisahan ng mga Magbubukid sa Pilipinas (PKMP) climbed the iron gate of DAR to force it open. Surprised employees of DAR went out of their offices and watched in alarm as angry protesters insisted on entering the DAR grounds. In an interview by GMA Channel 7, Ka Ed Mora, the PKMP leader asserted, "Ang kasunduan ng RP sa Tsina ay magluluwal ng lalo pang kawalang pag-asa ng magsasaka sa kawalan ng lupa. Nais naming makausap si Pangandaman dahil mas matindi pa sa JPEPA ang kasunduang ito dahil dito sa MOU with China, lupa na natin talaga ang ipapamahagi  sa dayuhan. (The agreement would bring deeper hopelessness to farmers who have been landless for a long time. We want to talk to Pangandaman because these MOUs with China are far worse than JPEPA considering that what is being given up by our own leaders in favor of foreigners are lands intended supposedly for local farmers."

            Disgusted by the non-appearance of Pangandaman, the farmers finally marched towards DA where they staged the main program.  A group of media people followed the crowd and interviewed farmer leaders including TFFS lead convenor Arze Glipo who marched with the farmers from PCA to DAR to DA.

            TFFS leaders from Aniban ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (AMA),   SANLAKAS, LIGA MANGGAGAWA, AKTIB and PKMP took turns in lambasting Secretary Arthur Yap as lead signatory of the deals including the President for their anti-poor  and anti-farmer stance. The leaders expressed their anger that the government prioritizes the interests of Chinese investors over that of protecting the rights of landless Filipino farmers. The deals will allow big Chinese conglomerates to lease lands in the Philippines to establish their own grains production and processing base. On top of this, government will use its own funds to build farm-to-market roads and irrigation in support of these foreign projects.

            The farmers peacefully packed around past noontime. A representative from DA's Office of the Secretary talked with the farmer leaders and promised to discuss TFFS' position  to Yap on the  controversial issue.