Farmers seek genuine agrarian reform program

MANILA, Philippines - Hundreds of farmers from Central Luzon yesterday arrived at the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) office in Quezon City to demand a genuine agrarian reform program from the government.

“What the country needs is a genuine land reform program that will significantly address the decades-old problem of landlessness and backward agrarian economy,” Anakpawis party-list Rep. Fernando Hicap said as he welcomed the farmers who arrived in Manila after a four-day march.

“Farmers gained nothing for the past four years under Aquino’s haciendero presidency. President Aquino only continued the policies and programs that led to the impoverishment of majority of Filipinos, especially farmers,” he added.

 The farmers, led by Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, are set to hold a protest action in Mendiola tomorrow in time with the expiration of the government’s Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms (CARPER).

The farmers are set to hold a vigil in front of the DAR main office until today, before marching to Mendiola tomorrow, which also marks the fourth year of Aquino’s presidency.

“CARP (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program) is dead. Malacañang should stop resurrecting CARP and its schemes that evaded actual land distribution,” Hicap said.

nce of Concerned Teachers, Save Freedom Island Movement and Yolanda survivors’ group Tindog People’s Network.