THE Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas-Southern Mindanao (KMP-SMR), together with other peasant groups in the region, had expressed optimism that the land reform issues will be successfully addressed in the third round of peace talks between the National Democratic Front (NDF) and the government.
One of the main agenda of the peace talks includes NDF's proposal on Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms (Caser) which will be raised during the third round of peace negotiation slated on January 18 to 25, 2017 in Rome, Italy.
The main objectives of Caser are to carry out agrarian reform and national industrialization, advance the rights of exploited, oppressed, discriminated and disadvantaged sectors of society.
It also includes upholding, protecting, defending, and promoting economic sovereignty and conserving the national patrimony and protecting the environment.
KMP-SMR chairperson Pedro Arnado said they are hopeful that the peace talks will favor the farmers and would push House Bill 555 or the proposed Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill to become a law that is now pending in the congress.
They believed the House Bill will ensure land distribution and write off billions of pesos worth of unpaid amortization.
"Mao na sa karon sa 3rd round of peace talks, bitbiton sa NDF ang iyahang agenda sa 3rd round nga kining Caser nga hinungdan sa daghang kinabuhi nga mag-uuma nga gibuhis (For the third round, NDF will carry this agenda that has caused the lives of many farmers," Arnado said.
He said three out of 10 farmers own a little land area while seven others have no land at all.
Although there are agencies that are authorized to issue land tittles, there are still farmers that do not have land.
"Until now, despite all the laws and programs created by the government for the past years, the farmers have still no land to call their own," Arnado said.
As the peace talks progress, the farmers have their fingers crossed that all their sacrifices and struggles will be fruitful and they would attain genuine agrarian reforms.