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Residents said that in 2023, SMC initially presented a “resettlement program" for Mariahangin families, offering money amounting to P75,000 with land or P100,000 if without land. Recently, the offer has increased to P400,000 per family to urge them to vacate their ancestral lands.
In 2023, DAR revoked the NOC of the 10,821 hectares of land of the indigenous peoples in Bugsuk, Palawan which was initially issued in 2014. Residents said that this decision by DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III prompted escalated harassment and intimidation in their community in Sitio Mariahangin.
Rural women condemned the Department of Agrarian Reform's complicity in massive land-grabbing by the Villars, Aranetas, Cojuangcos, Ayalas, and foreign investors.
In a press conference, Sept. 24, resident Tarhata Pelayo said that drones are being used by armed men who are known in their community to be affiliated with SMC to watch them every night.
When confronted by KASAMA-LR officials, the police and military eventually admitted that they plan on establishing a “permanent camp” within Lupang Ramos.
In his speech, Ramos criticized the prevalence of political dynasties in the Philippines. He emphasized the need for a representative who understands the plight of farmers and fishermen, noting that they make up 70 to 75 percent of the population.
“The soldiers have undertaken a psywar campaign for fake surrenders. They utilise intimidation, threats, and coercion in house-to-house interrogations and summons, explicitly red-tagging KMP and the mere act of participating in protests,” KMP said in a statement.
Karapatan said that two-thirds or 59 out of the 87 victims of extrajudicial killings under the Marcos Jr. regime are farmers. Most of them were either red-tagged prior to their killing or were accused of being armed combatants in “false encounters.”
Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas noted that the food inflation alone has accelerated from 6.1 percent to 6.5 percent, calling the slight overall decrease as “negligible.”
A farmers organization is concerned about the government’s plan of selling “aging but good rice” in Kadiwa stores starting next month, saying it would not offer long-term solutions to the increasing price of rice and other essentials.
On World Environment Day, land rights advocates revisit the government’s role in supporting a farmers’ seed system to boost the country’s agricultural industry.
Tensions in the peasant community of Lupang Tartaria flared up starting April 16 when armed security forces from Jarton Security Agency, Inc. began threatening to erect a barricade around the vicinity. In response, the farmers erected their own fence and set up a protest camp.
Since disasters always include human components, there is nothing natural about it. Therefore, there is no such thing as a “natural” disaster; there was a human failure somewhere in how social, economic, and political systems were set up.
At least 60 armed personnel have been reportedly building fences in the farmlands of barangay Tartaria, Silang, Cavite since April 16, prompting farmers to defend their community.
“Farmers and consumers are demanding the strengthening of the rice industry as a solution to the perennial rice inflation, now nearing an all-time high rate that is expected to continue until July."
The latest report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) revealed that Western Visayas is the most affected region with P687.7 million ($12.3M) in agricultural damage, followed by Mimaropa, Cagayan Valley, Ilocos, Calabarzon, and Zamboanga peninsula.
Clarkhills Properties started its forced demolition in 2023. About 2,000 individuals live in the 73 hectares of land that the corporation is trying to seize.
The Rice Liberalization Law has been in place for five years. Still, market prices have yet to drop to P25 per kilo, affecting farmers and consumers.
“There is still no justice up until today. There is still no genuine land reform. Landlessness remains a fundamental problem for our Filipino farmers and no program addresses these problems."
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