Ka Daning: From the Church to the
Parliament of the Streets
Danilo “Ka Daning” Ramos
struggled early in life to provide for his family’s needs. He may not have
impressive academic credentials, having finished only Grade VI, but his
knowledge of the national situation is more impressive and credible than some
government officials. Ka Daning has a distinct advantage: He knows poverty
because he lives it and he integrates with those like him.
BY RONALYN V. OLEA
Bulatlat
In May 2000
in Benguet province, campus writers discussed the call to oust then
President Joseph Estrada. Everybody was in deep thought as to who could
replace such a corrupt president. After some time, one of the participants
exclaimed, with all certainty, “Ka Daning!” (Ka is short for
kasama or colleague)
Of course,
that didn’t happen. But to the many young students who listened to his
speech, Ka Daning or Danilo Ramos, the secretary general of Kilusang
Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP or Peasant Movement of the Philippines),
was more credible than any politician they hear every day.
|
Danilo “Ka Daning”
Ramos |
Ka Daning
spoke on the national situation. Holding palay in one hand and a
drawing of a typical landlord and tenant-farmers, Ka Daning narrated
vividly the plight of the peasants. He related to the urban-based students
the exploitation and oppression of the poor majority in rural areas.
Some
wept at the end of his speech. Many others felt outrage. Everybody was
convinced of the need for genuine land reform and national
industrialization.
Peasant
origins
His ability
to articulate the sufferings and struggles of the peasant class comes from
Ka Daning’s own experience as a landless farmer. Born on Sept. 17,
1956, Ka Daning grew up in Bgy. Dakila in Malolos, Bulacan (located in
Central Luzon, south of Manila). His father, a carpenter and tenant
farmer, died when he was five years old. His mother also came from a
peasant family. They made bangkaso, a bamboo-made tool used
for spreading fertilizer, for a living.
They planted
rice, mongo and peanuts. During his elementary years, Ka Daning
said he and his siblings walked for about a kilometer to deliver food for
the tenant farmers. As a boy, he helped in preparing the seedbed, which
they call pagbubulubod. Even though they were times of hardship,
Ka Daning could recall the joyous singing of the farmers while planting. Someone would
play the guitar while the farmers sang, and the rhythm of their steps in
planting went well with the music.
That early
too, he witnessed how the landlord family in their community lived like
gods. Ka Daning said his relatives and their neighbors who were all
tenant farmers always gave their best chickens and produce to the landlord
family. During fiesta (celebration), the farmers and their children
will go the house of the landlord to provide services for free.
Like many
children of poor peasant families, Ka Daning was compelled to stop
schooling after finishing Grade VI. He
remembered making salakab, a bamboo-made tool used for fishing, to
earn a living instead of going to high school.
Still, he
cherished his years of learning. They would walk for almost two kilometers
from home to school. He used a bayong (a bag made of dried buri
leaves) as a school bag and was given five centavos as allowance. Ka
Daning regrets that he did not make it to the honor roll when he
was in Grade VI. He was influenced by his peers to skip classes. They
would play tatsing (a game using bottle aluminum covers) or go swimming in the river.
When he was
older, he immersed himself in farm production, working from as early as
5 a.m. until 11 p.m. Ka Daning said that even as
they perform bayanihan (collective farming) in the community, they
still had to work very hard.
After the
harvest season, Ka Daning and his colleagues earned extra income as farm
workers. They went to other peasant communities to work.
At 21, he
married
Trinidad
whom he calls Ka Ining. Ka Ining, also of peasant origin, does embroidery
work for a living.
From Bro.
Danny to Ka Daning
Unknown to
many, Ka Daning was Bro. Danny to his compatriots in Bulacan. In
the 1980s, he became involved in the Kristiyanong Kapatiran (Christian
Brotherhood) in Sta. Isabel Parish. Later, he became an officer of the
Council of Formation and Community on Service of the Parish Pastoral
Council.
Ka Daning
related how his co-parishioners encouraged him to teach catechism to
children. At first, he was apprehensive of his educational background.
But the trust shown to him by colleagues and the trainings he underwent
made him confident. His leadership in the church community was later on
recognized at the diocese level of Malolos.
Today, he
looks back at those days as being decisive in overcoming his docility and
shyness. At that time, they were repeatedly told it was not their fault
that they are poor.
It was also
in the church where he became exposed to the realities of the Philippine
society. He remembered taking up a short course on the subject. When he
learned the meaning of the word feudalism, he realized it was the bare truth. “Totoo ito
sa amin. Namatay si amang, hindi pa rin kanya ang lupang sinasaka. Gayon
din ang iba pang mga magsasaka sa baryo namin.” (This is true in our
case. My father already died as a farmer and yet, he still did not come to
own the land that he tilled. The same is true with the rest of the farmers
in our village.)
He recalled
the first rally he attended. Their parish was invited to join the protest
against the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant. “Noong una, nagtatakip ako ng
mukha. Baka makita ako ng mga kababaryo at ipamalitang sumasama ako sa
rali.” (At first, I would cover my face. My neighbors might see me and
spread the news that I was joining rallies.)
Years after,
he decided to join a peasant group and organize
among the peasants. Ka Daning said his decision was consistent with the
teachings of the Church. “Sinabi ni Kristo, anumang ginawa mo para sa
iyong pinakamaliit na kapatid ay ginawa mo para sa akin. Si Kristo mismo,
ipinaglaban ang mga dukha at api.” (Christ said that what you do to
the least of your brothers, you do it to me. Christ himself fought for the
poor and oppressed.)
In 1983, he
was elected secretary-general of the Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Bulacan (AMB,
Alliance of Peasants in Bulacan). Recalling the first time he
participated in a dialogue with government officials, Ka Daning said both his
knees and voice trembled. He feared that the provincial agriculturist
would debunk his statements. But his extensive knowledge of the problems of fellow
peasants gave him the courage to speak out.
Five years
after (1988), he became spokesperson of the Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa
Gitnang Luzon (AMGL, Alliance of Peasants in Central Luzon). He served as
the group’s secretary-general from 1989 to 1993. In November 1995, he rose
to the central leadership of the KMP. Since 1997, he has served as its
secretary-general.
Full-time
work
As he
assumed bigger responsibilities in the peasant movement, Ka Daning decided
to work full-time for the progressive movement. His decision was not
immediately accepted by his wife.
Painstakingly, he explained to his wife the need to be involved in the
struggle for change. “Hanggang hindi nagbabago ang sitwasyon, hindi
uunlad ang buhay natin, walang magandang kinabukasan ang ating mga anak.
Mahirap tayo dahil sa pagsasamantala ng mga panginoong maylupa, ng mga
burgesya komprador at ng mga dayuhang kapitalista.” (Until the
situation is changed, our lives will not improve, our children’s future
will be bleak. We are poor because of the landlords, comprador bourgeoisie
and foreign capitalists.)
Slowly, Ka
Ining understood. As to his children, Ka Daning said he educated them
early enough on the problems and struggle of the peasants.
Centuries-old issues remain
Ka Daning,
now 48, said landlessness remains to be the primary problem of the
Filipino peasants. “Mas tumidi pa nga ang problema ng masang magsasaka
sa ilalim ng rehimeng Macapagal-Arroyo.” (The problems of the
peasants became much worse under the Macapagal-Arroyo regime.)
He cited the
eviction of farmers in Isabela because of the cassava plantation of
Danding Cojuangco, Another case is that of the farm workers in Hacienda
Luisita in Tarlac.
Ka Daning
criticized the past and present regimes for their bogus agrarian reform
programs. He said that liberalization of agriculture proved devastating
not only to the farmers but to the economy. “Ang agrikultura ang
sandigan ng ekonomiya ngunit hindi binibigyan ng pagpapahalaga ng gobyerno
ang mga magsasaka” (Agriculture is the backbone of the economy and
yet, the government neglects the farmers). Ka Daning strongly believes
that only through genuine agrarian reform can the Philippine agriculture
be modernized.
Ka Daning
also expressed opposition to the removal of quantitative restrictions in
rice importation by 2005. He said the government should ensure food for
self-sufficiency.
The KMP, he
said, is campaigning for the decrease in the cost of agricultural
production, increase in subsidies of palay, copra and corn. The KMP also calls on the National Food Authority (NFA) to subsidize 25
percent of palay production so that consumers may buy P16 to P17 per kilo
of rice.
Consequently, Ka Daning called for the immediate pull-out of military
troops in the countryside. The peasant leader said that those responsible
for the killing of peasant leaders must be prosecuted. He expressed
disgust over the recent promotion of Gen. Jovito Palparan Jr., believed to
be the mastermind in the murder of Eddie Gumanoy, a peasant leader from
the Southern Tagalog, in April 2002.
Continuing
struggle
Despite the
violence and harassment experienced by fellow peasant leaders, Ka Daning said he is
all the more emboldened by the sacrifices of colleagues in the movement.
He said that
because of the strong unity of farmers, they achieved concrete
gains—decrease in land rent, decrease in usury rates, among others. “Dahil
organisado ang mga magsasaka, may kakayahan silang harapin ang mga
panginoong maylupa at lokal na gobyerno sa paggigiit ng kanilang karapatan.”
(Because the farmers are organized, they have the capacity to confront
the landlords and local government units in asserting their rights.)
Ka Daning
enthusiastically shared the KMP’s international solidarity work. “Dahil
malakas ang kilusang magsasaka sa Pilipinas, may batayan para sa
international solidarity work.” (Because of the strong peasant
movement in the Philippines, there is basis for international solidarity
work.) The KMP is a member organization of the International League of
People’s Struggle (ILPS) and Pesticide Action Network-Asia Pacific
(PAN-AP). Ka Daning has represented the KMP in various international
conferences. “Mahalagang magkaisa ang peasant movements sa buong Asya
para labanan ang imperyalismo.” (It is important for peasant movements
in Asia to unite against imperialism.)
Pride and
Joy
Asked what
makes him proud, Ka Daning answered, “Ipinagmamalaki ko ang panganay ko
dahil sa desisyon niyang mag-full time sa hanay ng sektor pangkalusugan.”
(I am proud of my eldest because she decided to work full-time in the
health sector.)
Ka Daning
said he told her daughter Joy, who at first wanted to work abroad, that
they do not need a big amount of money. Joy took up Physical Therapy.
“Ang mahalaga, maggamit mo ang pinag-aralan mo para sa serbisyo sa ating
bayan.” (What is important is that you use your education to serve the
people.)
Ka Daning
said he is also proud of the progressive movement. "Walang pinipili ang
kilusan. Kahit mahirap, kinikilala. Nagbibigay ito ng tiwala, posisyon
batay sa ginagampanang gawain at paninindigan.” (The movement is not
choosy. It recognizes even the poor. It gives trust and position based
on tasks that are being done and principles.)
Ka Daning
said solemnly, almost like a prayer, “Alam ko, darating ang tagumpay. Ang masa ang mapagpasya. Darating ang araw, ang mamamayan ay magkakaroon
ng buhay na marangal at kasiya-siya.” (I know that victory will come. The masses are decisive. The day will come when the people will have a
decent and pleasant life.) Bulatlat
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