A NATIONAL federation of agricultural workers has warned the government's plan to allocate one million hectares for oil palm plantations in the country in the next 10 years is "disastrous" as it will "push farmers deeper into poverty."

Presidential Adviser for Food Security Francisco "Kiko" Pangilinan drew criticism from agricultural workers under the national federation Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA), for promoting this plan.

UMA deputy secretary general Ranmil Echanis slammed Pangilinan's speech during the 9th National Oil Palm Congress in General Santos City last August 19-20, where Pangilinan said that "palm oil production is key to poverty alleviation.

"As a government official ensuring food security, Pangilinan must know that oil palm plantations have brought only hunger and extreme poverty in peasant areas, especially in Mindanao," Echanis said in a press statement.

At present, Philippines has a total area of 75,000 hectares planted with palm oil, around 6,900 hectares of which are in Mindanao, the rest are in Palawan and Bohol.

"Agricultural workers employed in the country's oldest palm oil plantations in the Caraga Region suffer hazardous working conditions and very low wages. Even after 30 years of hard toil, many remain as casual workers," said Echanis, referring to reports from UMA's local affiliate in Agusan del Sur, the Pinagbuklod na Lakas ng Manggagawa sa Plantasyon ng Agusan Plantations, Inc. or Piglas-Mapapi.

According to a 2012 study by the Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR), poverty, poor working conditions and the high level of unemployment particularly among women have pushed children to work in various capacities as plantation workers.

UMA has opposed Pangilinan's proposal for the "massive conversion" of so-called "idle lands" for oil palm, and pointed out that aggressive expansion of these plantations especially during the past few years led to "massive land grabbing and dislocation of peasant and indigenous peoples' communities."

Davao City Investment Promotions Center (DCIPC) officer-in-charge Ivan Cortez recently said that a Malaysian company is set to develop a 1,000-hectare property for oil palm in Marilog District and eyeing members of the Ovu-Manuvo tribe as its growers.

Cortez said the investor, who is a major player in Malaysia's oil palm industry, had discussed the matter with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP). He refused to disclose the name of the firm, but assured such plan will empower economically small farmers, especially the ones who own five hectares of land.

But UMA claimed that crop conversion and the use of toxic chemicals in oil palm plantations resulted not only in the destruction of traditional food sources in communities, but in the massive loss of agricultural areas devoted to food production.

"The P50 million government budget for oil palm expansion will benefit only foreign companies, investors, corrupt landlords and bureaucrats, and will push peasants deeper into poverty," Echanis said.
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