CBCP head says plight of rural poor has worsened
The plight of the rural poor has worsened in the past decades with more people suffering from poverty, joblessness and lack of education, said Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) President and Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo.
Lagdameo said these problems have persisted and even worsened despite the passing of laws such as on agrarian reform and on indigenous peoples.
He said the main problems that have worsened include lack of housing, education and access to health services.
"It is shocking to hear of rural folk reaching only up to Grade IV because schools there do not offer higher grades," Lagdameo said in an interview on Monday during the Regional Rural Congress of the Archdiocese of Jaro.
The congress, which gathered around 200 representatives from small farmers, farm workers, fisherfolks, rural women, rural youths, indigenous peoples and basic ecclesial communities, is in preparation for the Second National Rural Congress called by the CBCP scheduled on the second quarter of next year.
Lagdameo said it was also "shocking" to hear of parents who are forcing their children to take up nursing so that they could go abroad even if their children have no interest in the course.
"We also hear of many villages without doctors and nurses and health centers that do not have medicines or ones with expired drugs," the prelate said.
He said poverty and lack of opportunities especially in the countryside are pushing many to migrate to the cities or abroad.
Participants of the regional congress lamented the failure of government to address their persistent problems and alleviate their situation.
Indigenous peoples' communities have been driven from their lands because they cannot easily acquire a Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT). They also lamented threats during counter-insurgency operations because they are suspected to be rebel sympathizers.
Farmers and farm workers cited the lack of farm to market roads and market for their products while the fisherfolks said they have been suffering from low fish catch and high prices of pesticides and fertilizers.
The participants pushed for greater representation in Congress and a more active campaign against graft and corruption to ensure that budgetary allocations for infrastructure projects are fully and rightfully implemented.
They also called for a ban on genetically modified organism (GMO)-based agricultural products and instead pushed for organic farming and sustainable agriculture.
Lagdameo said the feedback from the participants has been a learning experience for the Church.
"We were able to bring in farmers, fisherfolk, indigenous peoples who talked about their problems and brought in many concerns," he said.
The output of the regional congress will be part of the inputs in next year's national congress.
He said they expect to build on the experiences of the First National Rural Congress so that the Church could effectively respond to the needs and problems of the rural poor.
The first congress, held in 1967, brought about the institutionalization of social action desks and offices in the dioceses and the establishment of cooperatives for the poor. It also marked greater advocacy and direct social action of the church including against abuses during the Marcos Dictatorship.