Agrarian reform beneficiaries set up camp
Slam PARO Teresita Depeñoso for sleeping on her job
BACOLOD CITY -- More than 300 agrarian reform beneficiaries belonging to the MAPISAN alliance set-up a camp-out in front of the DAR Provincial Office to push for immediate action on pending cases in large landholdings in southern Negros.
MAPISAN chairperson Perla Jaleco says that the camp-out is a protest against the DAR inaction on number of pending cases.
"Perhaps the deafening shouts and other forms of sounds from the camp-out could wake them up and move them into the reality that they have abandoned their work for the hungry farmers of Negros".
"Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer Teresita Depeñoso is sleeping on her job. We have been sending her letters and visiting her to inquire about the status of these cases but as of today nothing substantial and significant actions were taken", says Perla Jaleco, chairperson of the MAPISAN Alliance.
"DARPO has not acted upon the pending petition of more than 20 farmer associations (755 Farmer-beneficiaries) affected by the land reclassification ordinance of Kabankalan City covering some 2,000 hectares of landholdings. The processing of the claim folders in these landholdings are at halt since 1995".
Jaleco said that these landholdings which DAR refuses to act on include the 325-hectares Hacienda San Lucas of the Garruchari estates, the 433-hectares Hacienda Yusay, the 700-hectares KWACI and the 66-hectares estates owned by the Salgado family.
"Sometimes we think that it is better to burn the CLOA of the farmers, as it now becomes a mere sheet of paper without legal value. It merely promotes the illusions that CARP has brought social reform in the countryside. It is a failure from the start and it is", Jaleco added.
"Its time to replace CARP with a genuine land reform program where distributed lands are given to farmers at no cost and ownership immediately vested", Jaleco added with reference to House Bill 3059 or the Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill (GARB) being push by progressive party list Anakpawis.
Jaleco said that the farmers will stay if the DAR officials cannot make concrete actions on their demands.