Cojuangco, DAR Accused of Making CARP a Sham

Like their counterparts in other regions of the Philippines, peasants and farm workers in Negros declared CARP as "dead" on June 10, the day marking the extended 15th year of government's land reform centerpiece, CARP. Negros farmers are set to kick off the months-long Tigkiwiri Campaign which declares - during tiempo muerto (or dead season) - tenant farmers' continuing anti-feudal struggle and its socialist perspective.

By Hannah Papasin, Julius D. Mariveles and EdgaR Cadagat
Bulatlat.com

BACOLOD CITY - Beer magnate and presidential aspirant Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco - along with the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) - was assailed by leaders of farmers groups for killing agrarian reform as sun-baked and barefoot peasants and farm workers marked the extended 15th year of CARP June 10.

In march-rallies in this city and other parts of Negros Island, tens of thousands of farmers were joined by students, teachers, church members and other sectors proclaimed the death of the state-authored  Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

Calling government's agrarian reform program a "sham," peasant groups led by the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP - Peasant Movement in the Philippines), said there is nothing more to celebrate CARP given the "relentless land-grabbing" by big landlords like Cojuangco and the general support given by DAR itself.

Because of this, Richard Sarrosa, spokesperson of KMP-Negros, proclaimed "CARP is long dead."

More victims

Sarrosa also said that today more and more peasants in Negros have fallen victims to land grabbing, no thanks to Cojuangco Jr. and other big landowners, Negros Occidental Gov. Joseph Maraņon and Negros Oriental Gov. George Arnaiz. June 10, ironically, was also Cojuangco Jr.'s 64th birthday.

He also accused DAR of "conniving" with landlords and haciendero-compradors to skirt the distribution of lands using such devices as "corporative scheme and joint ventures," "leaseback and buy-back schemes" and the "land use reclassification." The schemes, he said, have allowed the reconcentration of lands by landowners like the families of Cojuangco, Maraņon, Arnaiz, Zayco, Ascuna, Garrido, Pfleider, Paras, Yanson and Lacson.

Making things worse, Sarrosa said, are the "complementary programs" of other agencies like the Departments of Agriculture and Environment and Natural Resources and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau all of which are in cahoots in pushing for "anti-peasant, anti-worker, and anti-fisherfolk programs."

Until now, there are no credible records showing the status of DAR's land distribution program, he also said. "DAR, in an effort to make it appear that its accomplishments are impressive, has resorted to padding statistics, including in their list of 'land reform' achievements claim folders that are under process, new Voluntary Offer to Sell applications, double entries and the like," he added.

Dislocation, unfair labor practice, land reconcentration

Instead of having a land of their own, peasants and farm workers now face further dislocation,  unfair labor practices and massive land reconcentration by landlords.

Meanwhile, Rafael Mariano, KMP's national chair, confirmed in an interview by Aksyon Radyo that the trend seems to be leaning toward land-grabbing and the criminalization of persons in agrarian cases.

"There is massive land-grabbing in several areas throughout the country, as well as the criminalization of persons in agrarian cases," Mariano told radio listeners. "Landlords file cases like qualified theft... arson, estafa against peasants in an effort to have them ejected from the lands they till."

Mariano also said that the agricultural sector, largely through the policies of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade-World Trade Organization (GATT-WTO), has become "export-oriented".

"The general direction now is more agricultural production for export, not domestic consumption," he said.

Not self-sufficient

This is alarming, he said, given that even the International Research on Rice Institute has said that the Philippines is not self-sufficient in rice, the country's staple food.

The Philippines has been importing beef, rice, vegetables and other farm products.

At the Felisa village in this city, a farmer-fisherfolk assembly was set to declare their participation in the Tigkiwiri Movement which marks the start of the tiempo muerto or dead season in the sugar industry when jobs and food are scarce.

To kick off the campaign, the participants will stage a march from Rizal Park, make a stopover before the DAR office and then proceed to the Fountain of Justice where the launching of the campaign will be announced.  Bulatlat.com

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