Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas
The long overdue condonation of amortization fees is a welcome relief for more than 600,000 agrarian reform beneficiaries. The next challenge for agriculture secretary and President Marcos Jr now is to enact a new and genuine agrarian reform program that will replace the bogus Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), says peasant group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) in response to the ceremonial signing of the new law condoning unpaid amortization. “Sana all may lupang masasaka. Pero milyun-milyon magsasaka pa ang walang sariling lupa at mas marami pa ang posibleng mapalayas sa lupa.”
“We sincerely hope that farmer-beneficiaries will fully benefit from RA 11953 or the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, and will not turn out like the Ferdinand Marcos Sr-era Presidential Decree 27 that further burdened and deprived rice farmers of lands to till. However, only through the legislation of a new and genuine agrarian reform program that puts free land distribution as a central principle, will correct the injustices of Marcos Sr’s PD 27. No new land reform, no genuine emancipation of Filipino farmers,” according to KMP chairperson Danilo Ramos.
“Bago pa ang PD 27 ni Marcos Sr at ang CARP, nagbibigay na ng parte ng kanilang ani ang mga tenante sa may ari ng lupa. Nung ma-land reform ang lupa nila at naging benepisaryo ang mag magsasaka, pinatawan naman sila ng gobyerno ng mabigat na financial obligation na amortisasyon sa lupa at 6% per annum interest. Parang ang gobyerno ang pumalit sa landowner na naniningil ng bayad sa lupa.”
“We challenge Marcos Jr to certify as urgent the Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill or House Bill 1161, and for Congress to resume deliberations on the proposed measure advocating free land distribution. GARB has been pending in the Lower House for the past 15 years despite broad support from farmers and agriculture stakeholders.
KMP said the way Malacanang juxtaposed today’s signing of RA 11953 with Marcos Sr’s signing of PD 27 to highlight the Marcos legacy is a “disappointing self-serving move” in an attempt to paint Marcos Jr’s rosy performances in time for his second SONA.
The group also finds contentious the parcelization of individual titles under the World Bank-funded SPLIT Project that will follow the condonation of amortization fees.
“Now more than ever, we are obligated to advance our calls for genuine agrarian reform and rural industrialization,” KMP concluded. ###
