EDITORIAL.As
the anniversary of RA 6657 or the “Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program”
(CARP) approaches, it is good look back to the calls from PCP 11. The PCP
11 document in 1991, stated “Agrarian Reform is still the one big issues
that touches our rural poor most directly. And hard opposition to it on
the part of the landed class, Catholics most of them, is the one big reason
for its continuing failure. If indeed we are serious about all we say about
our preferential love for the poor, the beginnings of real reformation in
our patterns of use and ownership of land should be made, the beginning
too of the solution to the scandalous problem of rural poverty” (391).
CHILD
LABOR IN SUGAR INDUSTRY. The sugar industry has been central to the economy
of Negros since the British introduced sugarcane in the 1800’s. The
industry went into a tailspin when the Philippines became a member of the
WTO in the 1990’s. While layoffs and contractualization became the
fate of thousands of sugar workers, many owners managed to reap super profits.
Danding Cojuangco is reputed to have profited from both legitimate and illegal
importation of sugar under the Estrada government. CARP does not cover sugar
lands.
MAMBURAO 6. “Woe to those who turn judgment to wormwood and cast justice to the ground” (Amos 5:7). A reading from Amos was part of the Ecumenical service held last May 27 outside the trial court of Judge Yadao in Quezon City. On trial were Lito Matricio, Ruben Balaguer, Gelito Bautista, Eduardo Bautista, Mario Tobias and Joshua Ungsod, known as the “Mamburao 6” because they come from Mamburao, Mindoro.
RMP lay-co-workers in Cagayan de Oro organizes fisherfolks. PAKMA or Panaghiusa sa Kabus ng Mangigisda was organized by RMP LCW in Purok 15 in Mantikao under the parish of Fr. Rene Soldivilla, Social Action Director in the Western part of Cagayan.
RMP LCW’s in Bukidnon are now organizing sugar migrant workers or Sacada. Bukidnon sugarlands are expanding amid the crisis in the sugar industry. Small landowners have opted to rent out their lands to sugar planters while migration of “sacadas” from Negros seems to be growing in terms of number. At present, the RMP Bukidnon estimates that 55,732 hectares are devoted to sugarlands, increasing in mono-cropping. Hardwon gains are visibly achieved by the farmers. Among these is the increase of migrant workers wage from 80 pesos to 125 pesos per ton.
Eduardo
“Danding” Cojuangco also plants Cassava in Agusan Sur. According
to our LCW in Agusan Sur, Danding has converted his sugarland to cassava
plantation which covers the boundary area of Agusan Sur and Surigao Sur.
Danding used to operate in this place with his logging concession in the
80’s under the Prosperidad Agriculture Development Corporation ( PADCOR
), but was stopped shortly after his patron, Mr. Marcos was ousted from
power.
RMP LCW's work with BCC to further peasant organizing work . By coordinating with parish programs in BCC areas, LCWs in Agusan deepen peasant organizing work by providing social investigation analysis and organizing skills. They also see to it that the poor but socially committed peasants instead of the rich peasants take the leasdership role in the organization RMP LCWs are missionaries who help empower peasants by helping them realize that they ( the peasants) are the ones who will solve their own problems and when conscientized and solidly organized will be effective agents of social transformation. RMs being missionaries consider their mission done and pull out when the peasants have a sense of their identity, are organized enough to struggle for their own rights and have developed solidarity with national and international groups.
RMP - Rural Integration Support Work hosts exposurees. The RMP hosted exposures coming from different theological schools under the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) last April 19 to 22 in Sitio Kalapi, Barangay Marcos Village in Angeles City, Pampanga. Exposurists came from the IFI, Memorial College , NCCP and St. Andrews Theological Seminary. They also joined the Cassava Fact Finding Mission in Isabela which was joined by different organization coming from the National Capital Region and was supported by the local regional RMP in Isabela.
Southern
Luzon Launches a Peasant Advocates Group.RMP Southern Luzon formed Simbahan
ng mga Magsasaka sa Kabite or SIMBAKA, a peasant advocacy group last June
5, at the SVD Seminary in Tagaytay. The organization gathered peasant advocates
from other sectors specially coming from the church. In the past months
Southern Luzon notably experienced massive militarization especially in
the island of Mindoro with most Magyan tribes dislocated from their farmlands.RMP sends condolences to the ICM Sisters and the family of Sr. Anita Bello former member of the RMP who died June 4, 2002.
Poem by -Dan Esponilla Dalac, Agosto 2001.(Ang Surugu-on ay isang salitang Samarnon-Leytenhon na ang kahulugan at Tagapaglingkod)
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