Undoubtedly, our country is rich in natural resources. In fact, China (despite its vast land area) has to impose its presence and throw its weight into a very tiny Scarborough Shoal (apparently, within our territory) not because of the group of islets’ size but of its value. Despite these God-bestowed gifts, however, we’ve remained poor.
Today, the issue on poverty is again brought to fore as the Supreme Court awarded Hacienda Luisita farmers the more than 4,000 hectares they’ve all wanted for. It should not have been news in the first place because the country’s land reform program has been here for decades and thousands upon thousands of hectares have already been distributed. What makes it a headline issue though is the fact that President Noynoy Aquino’s (PNoy) clan owned the property and the decision to hand it over to the farmers has been done by the same Supreme Court headed by a person he publicly denounced and disliked. Whether this decision is a consequence of their ongoing animosities, we certainly do not know. Certainly though, this estate shall be distributed to agrarian reform beneficiaries as Supreme Court so decided.
Absolutely, the partitioning and turnover of this humongous property to the beneficiaries are well settled. What is unsettling, however, is the fact that distribution of lands (as a program) has been here for many decades now, yet, substantially, we see nothing but unsightly rallies perpetrated by radicals and left-leaning activists and hear nothing but unceasing complaints and grievances. e for many decades now, yet we fact that distribution of lands has been
To recall, one of the more popular programs of all governments-that is from Ramon Magsaysay to Gloria Macapagal Arroyo- has been the land for the landless program. While these governments had termed it differently in their stay, the ultimate objective is the same. Supposedly, in trying to empower them by owning the lands they till, they will not only free themselves out of poverty, they shall be able to help this country attain food-sufficiency. On the contrary, however, instead of helping this country be self-sufficient, we are continuing to subsidize this program. All these years, the beneficiaries have continued to behave like slaves when in fact, money-wise, this government had already spent a lot to free them. Worst, they’ve started to act like mendicants by raking in over P4.0 billion in annual subsidy.
With all these annual budgets for many years now, what has so far been achieved? Unfortunately there is nothing much good to mention, just so much failures to learn from and forget. Except for a few, some lands are either sold or mortgaged. Others are simply abandoned. Worst, more than 100,000 hectares of previously distributed lands to beneficiaries are now foreclosed.
A typical example of how unsuccessful this program is can be seen when one visits Manjuyod, Negros Oriental. The once mighty SyCip Plantation Inc. is not even a shadow of its old stature after being covered by the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). Then, the beneficiaries organized themselves into a cooperative and managed the affairs of the entire hacienda. Unfortunately, the cooperative was unable to run it profitably. Consequently, LandBank reportedly foreclosed this huge property.
This and many other beneficiaries’ failures are claimed by some left-leaning groups as due to the government’s (despite a huge P4.0 Billion annual subsidy) inadequate support. For one, this sector claimed that one of the reasons of the program’s failure is due to the lack of financing support to beneficiaries.
Straightforwardly, records would show that LandBank was always there all these years. Specifically, on top of the dole-outs and previous financing supports, LandBank had earmarked P198 million for loans in 2009 to agrarian reform beneficiaries. The project dubbed, Agri-enterprise Credit and Agri-finance Services (agriCASH), was reportedly “aimed to provide financial services to agri-based enterprises in Agrarian Reform Communities (ARCs) through selected countryside financial institutions, ARC cooperatives, LandBank-assisted cooperatives, and other lending conduits”.
Through this project, LandBank intended to release up to P198 million in loans from 2009 to 2012. It is also expected to “mobilize savings and generate share capital totaling P33 million for the three-year period. Notably, we can’t help but agree with LandBank’s president and chief executive officer Gilda E. Pico who said that the project could “further help sustain the improvements on increased incomes, agribusiness employment opportunities, and empowerment of agrarian reform beneficiaries and farmer organizations in ARCs”. Yet, the program continued to fail big time.
Despite these beneficiaries’ ineptitude and the opportunist left-leaning groups’ propensity to use them, the government has continued to help. To recall, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) have forged an alliance to help farmers and fishermen develop their businesses by establishing an Agribusiness Center. These two agencies committed (through this Agribusiness Center) to help farmers and fishermen in business licensing, trade facilitation and export market exposure. Among others, this P12-million project “houses an information center, export showroom, an activity center and a café, where the public can sample native delicacies and recipes from chefs demonstrating their cooking skills and culinary expertise”. Moreover, this center will serve as a “one-stop shop” to deliver business services closer to the farmers and fishermen like business name registration, certifications, permits and licensing.
Despite these supports, the beneficiaries (through this left-leaning group) continued to fail and have unceasingly griped. Through the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas’ (KMP) Danilo Ramos, they further argued that the root of this flawed land reform program is in the very concept of compensating the landlords and making the farmers pay for the lands. Meaning, owners of the land should not be paid. They would like to have the lands for free. Or, simply put, have it (land) the mendicant way.
Today, with the high-profile treatment of Hacienda Luisita’s land distribution, these issues will again be brought to fore. As all eyes are focused on this humongous tract of land, land distribution will surely be settled in due time. What is unsettling though is the diversity and to some extent, stupidity, of the latest pronouncements of the beneficiaries. Foolishly, some of them have unequivocally declared that they shall put their lots on lease. Are they not supposed to own and till their lands as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) wills it?
These farmers’ attitudes though are not surprising. Soon, most of these lands/farms will totally miss their stewards’ presence. Once they find lessees of their farms, they shall migrate to the urban areas seeking for better paying jobs. As has been happening, some of them will be working as mere household helpers while waiting for their annual rental income to come.
Yes, without a doubt, the biggest hurdle that this government should overcome is to prevent these beneficiaries from leaving their lands by helping them till these profitably. After all, despite all the support, their presence is still paramount and necessary. As an old farmer’s wisdom lays it, “the farm’s best fertilizer is the owner’s footprint”. It isn’t urea, phosphorous or potassium. Simply put, even if one uses for his farm the most complete and expensive fertilizers and plant nutrients, these will all be for naught without the farm owner’s presence, footprints and hands on it.
On the other hand, when the program’s life ends, what will the program and the program beneficiaries’ life could be? Clearly, as what our other own poverty alleviation programs have been, there could only be two (2) possibilities. First, they will demand for the extension of the program with increased benefits. Or, secondly, they will demand for another improved mendicant program to replace it. Sadly, however, in both instances, they are still perpetual mendicants.
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