Threat to life and land continues despite CARPER

Gabriela Women's Party Rep. Luz Ilagan called on Filipino peasants and indigenous peoples to continue to be on guard in protecting their rights to land and life despite the approval of HR 4077, Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms or CARPER, in the House of Representatives.

Rep  Ilagan noted that CARPER is no different from the previous comprehensive agrarian reform program (CARP), which the agricultural sector considers a dismal failure.  CARPER, already a watered down version of CARP, will continue to deceive farmers that they will one day become the real owners and beneficiaries of the land they are tilling.  “Will a five-year extension, as provided for in CARPER, be able to correct the more than 20-year mistakes, corruption, and injuries committed against the landless peasants? " Ilagan asked.

Mindanao, where the solon comes from, is an example of how former actual tillers of the land have become mere farm workers of plantations controlled by multi-national companies.  These giant corporations are allowed to maintain control and operation of vast tracts of land through lease management grower or service contracts for twenty five years, renewable for another twenty five years.

The non-land transfer schemes legalized under CARP, paved the way for land-owners to avoid actual physical distribution of lands and maintained the status of farmers as agricultural workers not farmer-owners.  CARPER will allow the continuation of this practice and therefore extend the landlessness of the poor in the so-called Land of Promise.

 Expressing dismay at the rejection of her amendment to the CARPER bill to nationalize the agricultural lands operated by agri-business enterprises, Rep. Ilagan warned of continuing unrest and dissatisfaction of farm workers who will toil not for the future of their children but for the profits of foreign companies.

“When will the long-suffering and exploited Filipino farmer finally be able to say, ‘This land is mine.’?” Ilagan lamented. #