'TAKE OVER'

Farmers occupy main portion of mango plantation in Guimaras

By Florence F. Hibionada  

Some 236 farmer-beneficiaries of a vast mango plantation in Guimaras 'attacked' and took-over the property following years of unresolved land dispute. Vowing to stay put until issues are fully resolved, the group occupied the main portion of the 119-hectare property owned by the AFC Agri-business Corporation in Barangay Supang, Buenavista. The News Today (TNT) learned that the area is being eyed for development by Guimaras Land Incorporated. As such, proposals are up to convert the mango plantation into an agro-industrial and eco-tourism site.

Yet problems first surfaced after the affected farmers banked on the realization of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) that had said property under CARP coverage. In 1996, the farmer-beneficiaries got its Notice of Coverage however sometime last year were surprised of a report that an application for conversion was still accepted by the Department of Agrarian Reform in said island-province.

Ray Fadamig, one of the affected farmer-beneficiary said such should not have happened given his group's Notice of Coverage . This, he added, on top of the supposed municipal ordinance of Buenavista Sanggunian Bayan that failed to get the corresponding nod of the Guimaras Sanggunian Panlalawigan reclassifying the area from agricultural to non-agricultural.

And there are more problems, TNT is told by the group, particularly on the May 31, 2004 land valuation survey sought that until now has no results. The lack of the land valuation deters the farmer-beneficiaries to process its payment on the land under dispute. Questions were further raised on the fact that the subject property was leased out to the Philippine Phospate Employees Muti-purpose Cooperative.

"Nagsulod lang na sila sa tunga-tunga nga may kumplikto na kag isa pa na sa mga bagay nga luyag namon mahatagan sang kaathagan," another affected farmer said alongside an appeal to the government to deliver its promised action and resolution first quarter of this year. "Ginpasalig kami nila nga solbaron kag tapuson ang problema sa conflict areas pero wala man."

The News Today learned that provincial Board Member Vicenter De Asis, a lawyer, has joined the group and vowed to bring the matter to the attention of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.