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Monday, March 31, 2008
Sumilao farmers set foot on reclaimed land
By Ryan Rosauro
CAGAYAN DE ORO -- The exodus of Sumilao farmers ended Sunday when they entered the 50-hectare land of San Miguel Corporation (SMC) for the first time after struggling for more than 12 years to own it.
Rene Penas, leader of Sumilao farmers, jumped not once but thrice as the group broke into the property after cutting a portion of its fence in San Vicente, Sumilao town, Bukidnon on Sunday.
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Penas then scooped a fistful of dirt, wept and cried out, "Mao ning yuta nga atong gibarogan. Ato na gyud (This is the land that we have struggled for. This is ours finally)."
Emotions of joy rang out at the 50-hectare land. Even members of the non-government organization (NGO) support groups wept, as the 12-year struggle by the Sumilao farmers came to an end.
"Gusto kong humiga sa lupa (I want to lie down on the soil)," Lawyer Arlene Bag-ao, the farmers' legal counsel, said.
Bag-ao said she and the farmers never dreamed that they could get a considerable concession from San Miguel Corporation when they started their march from Sumilao to Malacanang last October.
"Pangarap lang namin kahit dalawang ektarya lang ang makuha namin. Okay na sa amin noon na basta lang ipaalam ang kalokohan nangyari dito (We were hoping to get only two hectares when we started our walk. We only wanted to expose the great injustice here)," Bag-ao said.
On Sunday, Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio Ledesma and Bukidnon Bishop Honesto Pacana helped the farmers cut the wires that surround the SMC property.
The SMC guards have opened a gate to the property earlier but the farmers declined it, preferring to ceremonially cut the wires that have long separated their land from them.
"Handurawan ni sa akong mga anak (This is my legacy to my children)" Sumilao farmer Richard Cainoy said as he hand out a bag of cakes to his children, Ivan, 5, and Ivy Grace, 4.
A little farther from them, a group of farmers started tilling the land and planted bananas on a shallow row cut by a plow and a carabao.
The farmers and their supporters arrived in Cagayan de Oro from Manila on a Philippine Air Force (PAF) C130 and a Fokker plane Sunday morning. They immediately went home to Sumilao after eating breakfast in Xavier University.
Ledesma and Pacana celebrated mass on a makeshift altar after the farmers got inside the property.
"Many farmers in the country are looking at you. You are an inspiration that the dream of a comprehensive land reform program can be achieved without violence. This is only the beginning," Ledesma said in his homily.
"I hope that you set an example here that you can build a community where trust, equality and peace can reign," he added.
Payment
Nicanor Peralta, assistant director of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Northern Mindanao, said since SMC donated the property, the farmers will not pay for it.
Peralta said Sumilao farmers are already paying for the 47-hectare property owned by the late businessman Salvador Carlos that was awarded to them in 2001. The Carlos' land is part of the 243 hectares of land claimed by the Sumilao farmers from the start.
He said the farmers pay a total of P59,000 a year for the Carlos's land.
"They have made good in their payments," Peralta said.
Under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (Carp), farmers are made to pay for the land bought by DAR for their distribution.
The Sumilao farmers forged a deal with SMC, Asia's biggest food and beverage firm last Saturday in Manila.
The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed by both parties said SMC would donate 50 hectares of the 144-hectare property claimed by the farmers, retaining 94 hectares, which the firm had developed into a hog farm.
SMC will replace it by buying 94 hectares from adjoining land in San Vicente mostly those owned by former Sumilao town Rey Baula.
Bag-ao said they have identified and accepted 63 hectares of the list of properties that SMC have proposed to buy for the farmers.
She said SMC will buy the land from Baula and offer it to DAR under the Voluntary Sale scheme, which the farmers will have to pay under the Carp program.
Peralta said they and Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) will have to check how much is the value, location, accessibility and potential of the properties being offered by SMC.
Bag-ao said they expect DAR to officially install the farmers as DAR beneficiaries on Monday.(Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Manila. (March 31, 2008 issue)
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