Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas
The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) said the planned Charter Change would expose and make vulnerable the country’s alienable and disposable public lands to 100% foreign ownership. There is an estimated 14.2 million hectares of alienable and disposable lands, according to the available data from NAMRIA.
“As if the 50-year allowable lease period to foreign investors stipulated in Republic Act 7652 or the Long-Term Lease of Private Lands by Foreign Investors is not enough, Marcos Jr’s ChaCha will allow full ownership of lands by foreign entities.”
Suggested revisions in the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution specifically Sections 2, 3, 7, 10, and 11 of Article XII; Section 4 of Article XIV; and Section 11 of Article XVI, all involved foreign ownership.
Aside from foreign ownership of land, proponents of Marcos Jr’s Charter Change argue that restrictive and protectionist provisions of the Constitution should be lifted to let foreign businesses fully own private properties, congressional franchises, schools, mass media, and vital public utilities.
“Marcos Jr’s ChaCha will only equate to the wanton plunder of our remaining land and natural resources. Instead of devoting our land and resources to the genuine development of domestic agriculture, economy, and industries, ChaCha will allow more foreign-owned extractive industries, logging, ecotourism, real estate projects, expansion of agro-corporation plantations, and other business operations intended for profit-making.”
KMP said allowing 100% foreign ownership of land will most likely eliminate and eject farmers from the land. “Mag-uunahan ang mga ahente ng lupa sa pangangamkam, pabarat na pagbili ng lupa, pag-iipon ng lupa (land banking), at pagbebenta ng lupa. Mangangahulugan ito ng mas malawakang pagpapalayas sa mga magbubukid at katutubo, pagpapataw ng mas matataas na upa sa lupa, lalong pagkalugi ng mga magsasaka, pagtigil sa pagsasaka, pagpapalit-gamit ng lupa, at pagkalusaw sa mga kabuhayang agrikultural,” according to KMP Chairperson Danilo Ramos.
Sa pangkalahatan, pipinsalain ng iniraratsadang ChaCha ang seguridad at sariling-kasapatan sa pagkain at kabuhayan ng mamamayang Pilipino. It will result in massive hunger and even famines, loss of livelihood and even more worsened poverty.
“We must unite to expose and oppose this latest move to railroad charter provisions that will lead to greater suffering for the majority of Filipinos,” the KMP concluded. ###
