It was just weeks right after President Marcos stepped-down from presidency and Corazon Aquino was hailed as the Philippines' new president. A product of a revolution? Not so.
Even after Cory's death and Noynoy's attempt for presidency, farmers could not still forget the haunt and hollow which embraced them because of the Aquino's. For one, is the Mendiola Massacre. Second, the Hacienda Luicita Massacre and three, San Miguel Beer workers' continuous suffering, and four, the peasants until today still tilling their vast lands while Kris Aquino sits comfortably in "The Buzz" mourning about her beloved James Yap going after another girl. They are a perfect example of a feudal lord turned capitalist turned bureaucrats. The rich people - they always have been.
What did the peasants asked from the government that day?
It was agrarian reform - genuine agrarian reform. It was a year after that the CARP, which stands for the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, was passed. Yes, we do have CARP but what difference does it make? Even in its extension, the loopholes of the said law are still working its way to preserve the wealth of the wealthy. In the Philippine government with which most of the personas are land lords, who would be interested enough to support genuine agrarian reform?
The need for Agrarian Reform.
Agrarian reform is the first step for development as proved by a first world nation such as Japan. After the war, Japan redistributed the lands to the peasants while the former land lords were asked to give in but will be supported with their industries. In the Philippines, there are lands which are left uncultivated, which remains as one's property waiting to be sold to another multi-national company. In the Philippines, 3/4 of our population are farmers as well as 3/4 of our lands remain agricultural. If these lands could have been given to the peasants with support for the development of agriculture, there could have been more yield, and technological advancements could have come from the peasants themselves who knows 'the soil they are tilling'. The land lords in their majestic seats would not take the time for thinking about these advancements as they would be contented with the fact that they receive 30% of the farmers' harvest, the land lease and the thought that the peasants have more than years to work for them as payment of their debts.
After agricultural development through agrarian reform could industrialization only come after. This is yet another reality in our country - that we do not even have a factory to produce a needle. The benign joke is that 'our only industry is the showbiz industry'. When can industry proliferate if the yields are not high, if there is no raw materials to use? At this time, we do have the raw materials... but the owner isn't the Filipinos and even if the Filipinos were the ones who planted it, they are not the ones who eat.
After 23 years, the farmers are still the tillers yet not the consumer of what they till. Could we not feel more guilty about it?
Credits: Picture from http://donutsinbed.wordpress.com.
What did the peasants asked from the government that day?
It was agrarian reform - genuine agrarian reform. It was a year after that the CARP, which stands for the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, was passed. Yes, we do have CARP but what difference does it make? Even in its extension, the loopholes of the said law are still working its way to preserve the wealth of the wealthy. In the Philippine government with which most of the personas are land lords, who would be interested enough to support genuine agrarian reform?
The need for Agrarian Reform.
Agrarian reform is the first step for development as proved by a first world nation such as Japan. After the war, Japan redistributed the lands to the peasants while the former land lords were asked to give in but will be supported with their industries. In the Philippines, there are lands which are left uncultivated, which remains as one's property waiting to be sold to another multi-national company. In the Philippines, 3/4 of our population are farmers as well as 3/4 of our lands remain agricultural. If these lands could have been given to the peasants with support for the development of agriculture, there could have been more yield, and technological advancements could have come from the peasants themselves who knows 'the soil they are tilling'. The land lords in their majestic seats would not take the time for thinking about these advancements as they would be contented with the fact that they receive 30% of the farmers' harvest, the land lease and the thought that the peasants have more than years to work for them as payment of their debts.
After agricultural development through agrarian reform could industrialization only come after. This is yet another reality in our country - that we do not even have a factory to produce a needle. The benign joke is that 'our only industry is the showbiz industry'. When can industry proliferate if the yields are not high, if there is no raw materials to use? At this time, we do have the raw materials... but the owner isn't the Filipinos and even if the Filipinos were the ones who planted it, they are not the ones who eat.
After 23 years, the farmers are still the tillers yet not the consumer of what they till. Could we not feel more guilty about it?
Credits: Picture from http://donutsinbed.wordpress.com.
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