Farmers Take Over the Management of Oil Palm Plantation

The Sultan Kudarat Experience

Down the southernmost tip of The Philippines , Kenram and Mapantig farm workers go “corporative” – cooperative with a corporate sense. They are on the right track, the French and a dozen other European Union ambassadors are rest assured

By JEMLY HASIGAN

ISULAN – IT WAS A BRIGHT MONDAY MORNING of the 19^th of December 2005. Thirty leaders from Kenram Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries’ Multipurpose Cooperative (KARBEMPCO) and the Mapantig Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries’ Multipurpose Cooperative (MAPARBEMPCO) were gathered at an opena area in the front gate of the fenced Karbempco building compound. The scorching heat of the 9 o’clock morning sun failed to dampen the glow and excitement on the faces of the leaders and beneficiaries. They stood still for the arrival of their most important visitors of the day. They have been waiting for the delegation of 13 distinguished European Union (EU) ambassadors who were to visit the projects that the European Community had assisted.

Beneficiaries have been ahead by 45 minutes, and they killed time by chitchatting what to do and who will do what. As they tried to break the anguish of waiting, an elder kasama (a farmer colleague) was heard asking on top of his voice, a jesting manner that cannot conceal an eagerness to meet with the dignitaries:

“Paano ta makaestorya sa ila sang aton naagum nga kadalag-an kay limitado man ang aton nahibal-an nga English? (How can we be able to tell them our achievements when our English vocabulary is limited?)”

The crowd responded with a mixture of grumble and laughter, but was abruptly halted when finally, the ambassadors arrived. As the EU Thirteen alighted slowly from their sports-utility vehicles, it was the sight of the newly-built ARB houses of the agrarian reform beneficiaries and the cooperative building surrounded by the oil palm tree plantation that momentarily captured the attention of the guests. Not the eager beneficiaries who waited for long, yet. But everyone was awed by each others’ presence.

“Behold, the Europeans!” Bienvenido Tamesis of Karbempco and Melicio Lebiga of Maparbempco, leaders both of the ARBs, gestured to approach and welcome the visitors. Brief exchanges of handshakes and bows followed as the visitors were ushered in to the coop’s open-type assembly building, for formal and informal gatherings. When all were in, the farmhands were asked to take their plastic chair seats arranged in circle, to allow each one to see each other, face-to-face. Short introductions ensued. The leader of the delegation introduced himself as Jan de Kok of France. Other dignitaries took turns in presenting themselves and the countries they represented, while the beneficiaries of the projects did the same, for the guests. The scenes were casual.

The beneficiaries were in consensus, Ben (as Bievenido Tamesis is fondly called) was to brief the visitors on the potable water system and swine breeding projects of Karbempco. Miling (Melicio Lebiga’s nickname) was to talk about the goat raising, inland fishing and vegetable production projects of Maparbempco. The EU delegations visit was to get an overview on the status of how things were going.

Chairman Ben who was adequate in spoken English afforded his Karbempco colleagues big sighs of relief when it was made clear to them their leader can tell the guests what they collectively meant to say about their EU-funded projects through the Philippine Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR). They were delighted to hear how the piggeries and the drinking water systems projects had been successfully run in favor of the Kenram beneficiaries in wise utilization of European donations. Halfway Ben’s presentation, a few queries from the leader of the delegation regarding the takeover of the plantation under the Philippine government’s agrarian reform program, took the forum to task:

“… How were you able to succeed in carrying out your struggle? Were you able to do it by yourselves alone? Or were there help from other organizations in the process of your struggle?,” asked monsieur De Kok the stunned audience. Silence was momentarily everywhere. Everyone involuntarily looked at each other as if asking who would be the best volunteer to answer the French queries. Ben, who remained standing, was still their man of the hour.

Ben narrated the history of the Sultan Kudarat farmers’ struggle, for the Europeans’ reenlightenment on the matter, with the passion of a true Isulanan. He almost forgot to finish the gist of his prepared presentation on the Karbempco project accomplishments.

The Karbempco leader recalled that the land acquisition struggle in the oil palm plantations extensively took place during the end of the Aquino and Ramos administrations’ 10-year deferment period for commercial farms in 1998. The areas, constituting 1,558 hectares of oil palm plantations, are located in barangays Kenram and Mapantig of Isulan municipality.

Prior to termination of commercial farms deferment period, Ben added, it was in June of 1997 when the social preparation of potential beneficiaries was initially discussed by Rey Magbanua of the Rural Development Institute of Sultan Kudarat (RDISK), Ildefonso Buenacosa Sr, municipal agrarian reform officer (MARO) of Isulan, and Ramon Regalado of the Kenram Employees’ Labor Union (KELU). The discussion resulted to the formation of a task force comprised by DAR, RDISK and the farmworkers’ representatives. It was the task force’s mandate to directly organize and strengthen the bloc’s potential beneficiaries who filed a petition for the immediate coverage of Kenram-Philippines Industries (KPI) estate in Kenram and the First Southern Land Development Corp (FSLDC) in Mapantig after the deferment period shall have expired by the 15^th of June 1998. It was also tasked to disseminate information on Republic Act (RA) 6657 campaign, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL), to the potential plantation worker beneficiaries, Ben said.

The merging

CHAIRMAN Ben Tamesis related, that in February of 1998, the resultant task force’s efforts were realized when, during the Provincial Consultation on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (PROCCARD), a decision was made to form cooperatives as the uniting organizations of the two estates’ claimants. A core group of 14 selected potential beneficiaries was formed, to facilitate the conduct of pre-membership education education seminar series from July to August 1998.

Karbempco with 414 members was organized in May of 1998, while Maparbempco with 269 members, was put up in August of 1998.

It was vivid in Tamesis’ memory, making the two organizations strong was primary focus in the late-20^th century. A goal-oriented project planning was hosted for the officers of Maparbempco and Karbempco to plan for the coops’ acquisition and distribution of the plantations at issue. Advocacy work, networking, lobbying and negotiations, he said, were given full attention to speed up the processes. The established working relation of RDISK with the provincial offices of the DAR became favorable to pursue the struggle. In preparation for the eventual takeover, the two coops briefed their members as to the possible options to take come the post-distribution phase. Some options presented to them under the reform program were joint venture, contract growing, lease-back and takeover arrangements.

It was, during this same period, Tamesis pointed out, the viability and feasibility of a cooperative-managed plantation operation was raised. It became the focus of arguments, specially when the potential beneficiaries were considering various options. It was crucial, the beneficiaries were to decide for themselves. Towards this end, RDISK initiated the conduct of a feasibility study on cooperative-managed oil palm enterprise, followed by a conference on the project viability issues. It was in the conference where, Tamesis and company were self-assured, it was proved that a “cooperative-managed oil palm plantation in the production aspect, is more economically viable,” exploring with the entrepreneurial idea how joint ventures in the milling and marketing aspects, can harness more revenue for the coops.

After a series of more information and education exchanges, Maparbempco opted to take over the plantation management during their assembly in November of 1998, while Karbempco decided for the takeover option, later in February of 1999. It was fortunate that the landowner showed openness of mind for negotiations related to land distribution, management option and marketing agreements within the bounds of the agrarian reform program implementation. In January of 2002, the certificate of land ownership (CLOA) was awarded. Thirst got wind of the Ben Tamesis stories about the coops’ triumphal struggles.

A hard earned struggle

ANOTHER dignitary ventured a comment, “As we listen to your story, I had the impression that you did not have much difficulty in pursuing your struggle…” A lull in the exchange was an opportune time for the Maparbempco chairman Miling Lebiga to take the cudgels from the already tired leader-speaker.

Miling begged to disagree with the impression of the inquiring dignitary, “Actually, Sir,” Lebiga responded, while pausing here and there, as if looking for his next best words to say, “this property was not given to us on silver platter,” he finally completed his statement in a baritone pure Ilonggo tone.

The Maparbempco leader recounted their uncertainties many years back when the wait was long for the ultimate award. Miling said, even if they had already decided on what course to take over the plantation, the landowner’s had been trying to convince many of them, almost with a modicum of success, for the lease-back option. Some almost gave up the fight already. Suspicions lurked at the back of the cooperators’ mind, the implementing agency was trying to fool around with them when a delay in the generation of the land value by the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) creeped in. They had to stage a picket dialogue in the DAR provincial offices to hasten the processing of land distribution.

A host of other dilatory tactics were attributed in part to conflicting interests between the landowner and the potential beneficiaries. DAR had to come in if only to facilitate resolution to the conflict, with offers of possible agriventure agreements by and between the parties. KPI, for instance, was recommending a joint-venture management of the oil palm production, while the beneficiaries were asserting to manage the plantation by themselves, and inked marketing contracts with KPI. It was recalled, KPI’s interest then was to ensure a steady supply of fresh fruit bunches (FFBs) for the milling plant which they retained in their possession. Series of negotiations, propositions and counter-propositions lasted for almost six months until finally, KPI and the beneficiaries agreed to take on the production and marketing as proposed by the farmworkers.

The Management Takeover

Karbempco and Maparbempco finally took over the management of the plantation on the first of July 2002.

The dual cooperative set up their own operational structures and systems to ensure a synergy of productivity, effectiveness and efficiency in the oil palm production.

After three years of operation, the two coops’ business expanded from single operation of FFB production to lending, FFB marketing, and consumer stores. In addition to the annual dividends received by the members at PhP34,878.00 per cooperator of Karbempco and P16,709.00 per cooperator of Maparbempco, the workers’ salary was increased from P170.00 per man-day during KPI management to P210.00 per man-day under the cooperative management.

Palpable results of their struggle….upliftment of their life

TODAY, the beneficiaries of the oil palm plantation cooperatives in Sultan Kudarat were able to also address their other basic need of housing within their areas.

It was learned, a residential area was allocated by KPI, equivalent to 27 hectares for Karbempco members and 15 hectares for Maparbempco members. They have established their villages where their offices are located at the central area.

In Kenram, they were able to extend their services to the community by providing subsidy to two cooperative-remunerated teachers in their public elementary school. Karbempco had also established a nursery for their replanting and expansion programs.

Miling Lebiga concluded his testimonials with a cheerful smile while relating their Kenraman dreams of looking forward to a more active participation in the whole oil palm industry chain. They also intend to become one among the major players in the industry, in the immediate future.

European Union visitors’ applause to the Karbempco presentation served as drumbeats that accompanied the Kenram leader back to his seat, oblivious that he was nearly walking towards the center of the forum as he anxiously narrated their stories.

Jan de Kok did not wait anymore to be asked of his comments. The French dignitary voluntarily stood up and congratulated the beneficiaries for their triumphs of spirit. De Kok admitted that with the colorful and complex experiences the beneficiaries had gone through in their struggle, he expressed confidence, the programs and projects the Europeans had backed up would be effectively and efficiently managed by the two cooperatives. The French ambassador was elated, their visit to the project sites also served as an enlightening quick-tour that educated them on how agrarian reform issues are fought down the Southern Philippines , without bloodshed.

A deafening applause from the beneficiaries to the guests’ warm approval of the reports saturated the hall after the head of the European delegation had spoken.

The packed lunch prepared by the beneficiaries were then served. Seemingly, everyone was not hungry. They did not feel like eating anymore. The wall clock hanged at the hall’s front wall announced it was already 12:45 in the afternoon. The farmworkers hearts were full.

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MASIPAG Rice Technology

The PRDCI Experience in Panay

By Agnes Españo-Dimzon

"IF YOU DON'T USE chemical fertilizer, your rice will become bonsai."

This was the initial response of farmers when the Panay Rural Development Center Inc (PRDCI) began promoting the MASIPAG Rice Technology (MRT) back in 1996. The organization found it difficult to wean farmers away from chemical-based farming because they have gotten used to it even if high production costs have become prohibitive. They did not believe that organic inputs could actually work.But now, more and more farmers are adopting the technology because they have seen its benefits not only on their household income but on their health and the environment as well.

MASIPAG means Magsasaka at Siyentipiko para sa Ikauunlad ng Agham Pang-agrikultura, a group of farmers advocating for sustainable agriculture. With its components covering seed variety, farming system and management of the land, MRT as a technology aimed to increase the productivity specially of small rice farmer-producers through environment-friendly methods. Increasing productivity means reducing cost of production, increasing yield and regenerating soil quality. With PRDCI, it had become part of the Integrated Diversified Farming System (IDFS) approach in developing small farmholdings that constitute the majority of the organization's farmer cooperators.

Masipig Rice Technology - For more of the funniest videos, click here

PRDCI's objective is to widely propagate the use of the MRT technology and make it strong enough to influence the rice industry towards environment-friendly and sustainable farming in Iloilo province. Iloilo is considered as the rice bowl of Western Visayas which is the third largest rice producing region in the country.

PRDCI project areas are basically rice farming communities and rice farmers are main partners. It uses IDFS as a strategy for diversification and integration to raise farmer's productivity and income, prevent soil erosion and increase vegetation. The different farming technologies are the MRT, System of Rice Intensification (SRI), Bio-Intensive Gardening (BIG), and Sloping Agricultural Land Technology (SALT) for upland areas.

In order to achieve the three IDFS objectives, PRDCI encouraged its farmer partners to cultivate a combination of crops. In the upland areas were planted short gestation crops like vegetables, corn and root crops; perennial crops like timber and fruit trees; and forage crops like flamengia, renzonii and napier which were used to feed livestock. They also planted kakawate, ipil-ipil and tanglad or lemon grass that were used as raw materials for bioinsecticiding the farm. In the lowland areas were planted rice intercropped with vegetables. Lowland farmers also raised poultry, pigs, goats and other animals that are good sources of manure. Ducks were used as weeders and golden snail controllers. They raised freshwater fish in areas where there was adequate water.

Integrated Diversified Farming System (IDFS) makes good use of different farming technologies such as Masipag Rice Technology (MRT), System of Rice Intensification (SRI), Bio-Intensive Gardening (BIG), and Sloping Agricultural Land Technology (SALT)

MRT utilized indigenous rice varieties which were known to be more resistant to pests like tungro compared with those produced by the government-recognized International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and PhilRice.

SRI used transplanting to grow more rice stalks from only about five to 10 kgs of seeds of selected indigenous rice varieties.

BIG used kakawate leaves, rice straw and pig and chicken manure as fertilizer for vegetable gardens. Rice bran is used to feed animals and fish.

SALT combined the propagation of vegetables, root crops, fruit trees, other vegetation as well as animals to maximize production of food crops and prevent of the hillsides.

Reasons to Smile

PANAY Rural Development Center Inc (PRDCI) technicians taught the farmers how to produce foliar fertilizers and bioinsecticides from the leaves of herbs and other indigenous plants growing in their backyards. PRDCI started implementing MRT in 1996 as soon as the organization became an "independent rural development institute" under the PhilNet-RDI umbrella. Barangay Tabucan in Barotac Nuevo was the first site. By the end of 1996, the area was expanded to include Tinurian and Monpon. In the same year also, PRDCI acquired funding for its first land and water resources development project with nine barangays of Janiuay and Maasin as the defined project areas. These barangays fall within the upper Suague watershed. The micro watersheds of Sorsogon and Caraudan creeks were identified for area development and MRT was a major program component.

PRDCI had 1,013 farmer-cooperators spread among the 55 barangays of its six project-covered municipalities (Janiuay, Badiangan, Maasin, Mina, Pototan and New Lucena; Barotac Nuevo and Dumangas were retained as service areas).

In 2004, PRDCI marked an 11.5 percent increase in the income of farming households every year since 1999 compared with the years before MRT was implemented.

Through the years, adjustments and innovations in the technology and the system of implementation were made to adapt to the needs that surfaced in the project communities.

Noe Ciasico, PRDCI technician, said, an almost 50 percent decrease in production was observed when non-application of chemical fertilizer was strictly followed in the first mass production. Some PRDCI farmer-cooperators adopted Low External Input For Sustainable Agriculture (LEISA) which followed the 70 percent organic to 30 percent inorganic fertilizer methods in order to limit the decrease in production on a minimal level. Ciasico added, through LEISA, the soil can be slowly weaned away from chemicals until it has sufficiently recovered to tolerate zero input of chemicals.

Still, in its end-of-term report in 2004, PRDCI recorded a marked decrease in the use of chemical-based fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides among its farmer cooperators.

To widen its reach to include more farmers, PRDCI allowed non-members of organizations to put up trial farms and verify seeds. Farmers who have not gone into trial farms were allowed to verify seed as long as the seeds were tested in adjacent trial farms.

Ciasico reported, some farmer-cooperators practiced direct seeding instead of recommended transplanting method in order to lessen their expenses. But the same farmers agreed, they eventually have to follow the required transplanting method.

Farmer-cooperator Jaime Mirar of barangay Bongol in Janiuay believed that transplanting helped control the spread of pests and diseases.

But the major factor why farmers could sustain the transplanting method was the lack of adequate water supply. Most farms in these PRCI-covered areas were rainfed.

Woman farmer Cecilia Barranco of barangay Mangil, also of Januiay, said that she usually could not apply organic fertilizer on time when there was not enough water which happens usually during the second cropping.

Instead of the communal seed banking, almost 90 percent of the FCs chose to have their individual seed banks, thus making them less dependent on seed growers. This also made it easy for them to find and gather more indigenous seeds.

PRDCI began teaching SRI along with the MRT method to its farmer-cooperators in 2004. During the same year, the organization intensified its campaign for the use of organic fertilizer by propagating vermicomposting in the production of organic fertilizer. It distributed African night crawler earthworms for FCs to produce organic fertilizer in their own backyards.

This was to answer the need for a steady source of organic fertilizer. But quite a number of farmer still run short of this valuable farm input.

In 2005, PRDCI signed a memorandum of agreement with the local organization Sitio Ambolong Young and Old Association (SAYOA) for the latter to handle a vermicomposting project. The two entities entered into another MOA with the local government of Janiuay and the Janiuay Market Vendors Association for the garbage from the market area to be collected and processed in a production center in sitio Ambolong in barangay Bongol. The center was equipped with a garbage shredder and compost tanks and was intended to become a showcase site for the processing of fertilizer and organic vegetable production in the months onwards.

Now, MRT farmers have another reason smile. Organically-grown rice have started to occupy the frontshelves of big grocery stores in Iloilo City and a number of university and hospital cooperatives are making regular orders for the daily consumption of their clients and members.

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Nonoy, the hero of farmworkers

Tension begins to build-up in Lacson Estate in Kanlaon City. The former landowner is determined to get back the land. One month after the farmers’ takeover of the land in August 1999, the former landowner put up tanod (security) posts in every corner of the hacienda . Every night the tanods of the former landowner made rounds of checking of the hacienda and flashing lights at the house of members and leaders of farmers to provoke them to react.

Sensing that their lives and their hard earned land were in danger, the cooperative hold a meeting. with the community organizer (CO) in the area. The members again reaffirmed not to leave the land and they will fight it come what may. They draw a defense plan. They formed security forces. Unknown to the community organizer, the members sold their livestock and bought guns and ammunitions they will use for defending their life and properties. The leader exclaimed “ pangapinan ang atong katungod” ( defend our rights). Children and their wives were relocated temporarily to a safe place.

“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” One of the CO described the situation when told to report in one of the meeting. The security forces of the cooperative conducted nightly security check of the area, roving and checking the house of members and if they heard gun shots in the air done by the tanods of the former landowner, they also fired back, sending message that they were not afraid against the provocation. This was the situation every night in the area.

One morning, the laborer of the former landowner plowed the land already cultivated by one of the member of cooperative. Immediately, the other members of the cooperative rushed to the scene and supported the member, thus, confrontation takes form. The administrator of the former landowner reinforces his men with his paid goons. Heated arguments and confrontation followed. The contending groups were both armed, the administrator of the former landowner displayed their guns while the leader of the cooperative draw a line in the ground and warned the administrator and his goons not to cross the line or else blood will flow.

The two contending groups was separated by more or less 50 meters. Slight provocations will ignite a violent and bloody confrontation. Thanks for the urgent intervention of the community organizer, she talked to the laborers and paid goons of the former landowner and explained to them the rights of the members of cooperative as Certificate of Land Ownership Award holder and in effect the new owner of the land. The laborer told the community organizer that the administrator is the one who mobilized them and they only wait for the administrators’ order. The community organizer then talked to the administrator and asked him not to continue his plan of cultivating the land already owned by the ARBs. Negotiations continue until the administrator gave in and talked to his men not to continue their plan. The local police arrived in the area but the tension was already gone. No one in either group complained to the police because of fear that their guns will be confiscated. The nightly events of firing gun shots on the air, flashing lights at the house of members of the cooperative continues.

November 23, 1999, early morning, news broke out of the murder of Mr. Neonito Ordaniel, the chairperson of the cooperative in Lacson Estate in Kanlaon. Right away, the community organizer goes to the area and confirmed the news seeing Nonoys’ body lying with blood stains all over his body. There are markings of stabbing and wounds in different parts of his body. Nonoy was brutally murdered in the middle of the night. He came from the house of one of his member. While walking in the middle of the night along the road surrounded by tall sugar cane plants, he was ambushed by several men and brutally killed him.

On the night of the wake, 7 pm Nov. 23, 1999, the group of community organizer arrived in the house of Nonoy surrounded by sugar cane on one side and germilina trees on the other side located on an isolated place in the hacienda. The body of Nonoy laid in a wooden casket with one baby chick chirping on top of the casket. Local tradition always observed this practice once the person was murdered and no justice yet was served. The wake area located in the backyard and covered by the tent is illuminated by the only lights coming from petromax (gas lamp). Security measures was observed as there are threats that there will be next to be murdered.

In the middle of the night, cracking of germilina twigs was heard prompting the newly formed security force among the ARBs to beam their flashlights on the side of germilina trees and saw a person running away. There are more than twenty persons attending the wake and they decided to go home in the morning instead of in the middle of the night. This is to avoid unexpected to happen again. Five members of ARB carried guns to defend them. The leaders decided to transfer the wake in their training center infront of the outpost of baranggay tanod (barrio police). Farmers from all over the province came during last day of the wake to provide sympathy and support for the family of Nonoy.

Next day, during the burial, the parish priest held a mass. More than two thousand people attended the mass and the procession going to the final resting place of Nonoy. Some group of students and teachers gathered in front of the exhibits displaying pictures of Nonoys body full of blood. One of the teacher exclaimed “this is the work of an evil”, “why did they brutally killed Nonoy? “. Some students broke into tears while looking at the pictures. During the procession, sea of human body lined up and marching silently. This is the first time in Kanlaon city that so many people gathered in sympathy of a dead person. Nonoy is considered a hero of the struggle for agrarian reform in the sugar land. “Nonoys’ death will not cowed determination to continue the struggle” blurted out by one of the leader while hearing memorial service.

The cooperative helped the widow of Nonoy to earn a living to support her children. Five suspects were arrested and jailed. It is almost 9 years but the family of Nonoy has yet to see justice. The wheel of justice is slow in the Philippines.

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A collection of documentary films created for rural development advocacy

On its tenth year anniversary, the Philippine Network of Rural Development Institutes, Inc. (PHILNET-RDI) and its member network celebrated its ten years of effort for rural development. It has in the last decade doing her contribution for the development of marginalized rural sector and people and to achieve its vision of establishing self-determining rural communities.


These documentary films was done to look back and to appraise what has been done.

The films captured the gains, achievements and impact on the lives of the rural poor.

It touched on the different approaches and strategies namely advocacy and networking, productivity system enhancement and development focusing on sustainable agriculture and the promotion of organic farming, on enterprise development assisting the partners in establishing small enterprise and providing a small amount of credit to start a livelihood projects, resource accessing and assisting the partners in their struggle to own a land and the capacity building focusing on the transfer of skills and on mainstreaming of gender concern.

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The Struggle to own the land they till

So many stories have to be told.


But it can be accommodated not in this space but somewhere, and maybe, it is still written in the memories of those who have been involved in the campaign. It is there stored and waiting to be retrieved and shared.


The drama is still unfolding and like the way I wrote this piece, it is very hard to imagine when it would come to an end. But sure thing is that, somewhere in our history, the history of the people, the sugar workers and farmers in the sugar land of Visayas struggled so hard, faced the mighty and able to gain some victories.


They are sweet, you can rest assured.



The land takeover

On the 14^th of June, 1999, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) ordered the installation of the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARB) in the land owned by Carlolina Lacson in Canlaon City, Negros Oriental Philippines by the 24^th of June 1999. The order afforded the ARBs great source of joy, albeit temporarily. Observers claimed, the DAR was “somersaulting” on the issue come implementation time.

Three days before, the DAR event sent communication canceling the ordered installation because there was a pending inclusion/exclusion case filed by a group of farmers instigated by the Lacsons. Unperturbed, the Lacson estate ARBs proceeded with their planned takeover even without the DAR. They realized that if they will depend solely on DAR, nothing will happen. They have to assert their rights. They have to struggle and fight for their claim in taking over the land they already owned.

Day before the installation, together with the organizer of NIRD and Philnet-RDI, the San Francisco Multipurpose Cooperative (SFAWMULCO) hold a meeting to finalize the plan for the actual takeover of the Carolina Lacson estate. They call this meeting a tactic sessions – where they plan in details on how they will enter the area, the entry points, the site of makeshift stage, the program of the formal turnover of Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA), and the formation of different committees including the food preparation and the detailed plan of the committee on security.

On the night before the installation, 11:00 in the evening, some 35 members gathered for the final preparation for the next day’s activity. The committee on security makes a round of the area to ensure that no unwelcome visitors will sabotage their preparation. Six members were busy, continue and alternately rotating the bamboo pole with 3 pigs roasting above the burning charcoal that will be served for the activity.

News broke out, reported by the chair of committee on security that goons of the former landowner arrived in the area aside from the 20 ronda (security personnel of the landholding). Tension begins to rise. One group of 3 members verified the news while the composite team in charge of defense alerted other members in the community. The team who is in-charge of food continue their task of preparing the roasted pig and puso (cooked rice in coconut leaves). Past midnight, seeing nothing happened, the community organizer of NIRD (Negros Oriental Institute for Rural Development, Inc.) prepared to go back to their office. While walking in the middle of the night, they passed through the roads surrounded by sugarcanes and no lights guiding in their path. They mutter to each other “God help us that nothing will happen to us on our way home”. They arrived safely.

Early morning of July 10, 1999, members of SFAWMULCO (San Francisco Muli-purpose Cooperative) start arriving in group and others came with their children in tow. About 70 ARBs were sitting facing the makeshift stage inside the tolda (tent). Local police was invited and arrived at 10:00 am, immediately talked to the Chairperson and NIRD organizer. They discussed on what to do to maintain peace and order in the area while the activity is going on. Monsignor Modesto, the parish priest of Canlaon City also came. Thirty minutes later, truckloads of ARBs from other areas arrived. They came from the nearby town of Guihulngan and from as far as the town of Mabinay to provide support for the activity and to provide warm bodies to counter any attempts of the former landowner to use their goons to stop the takeover. Media people coming all the way from Dumaguete City, 120 kilometers away from Kanlaon likewise arrived to cover the activity. No representative coming from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) as expected.

Monsignor Modesto begins the Mass. During the homily he told the ARBs “ the Lord gave you this land, till these land, love this land, develop this land, because this land will give you food to feed your family, send your children to school and provide you shelter that is comfortable to live in”. He gave blessings for the members. After the mass, the good Monsignor Modesto turned over the CLOA to the ARBs as proof of ownership of the Lacson Estate. The DAR is supposedly the one who will hand over the CLOA but they refuse fearing that they will be sued by the former land owner. The cutting of ribbon (sugarcane leaves and flowers) was done next after turning over of CLOA. The ARBs do the groundbreaking by planting banana and different crops in the boundaries and do the symbolic plowing and harrowing of the land.

The tense feeling subsided seeing nobody from the landowners’ men came. After the groundbreaking, you can see the sweet smile of the chairperson, the cheerful faces of the members, the festive mood of the crowd gathered to watch this historic event in their simple and serene community. This is the beginning of their new life as the new owner of Lacson Estate.

Before feasting on the prepared food, the good monsignor led the prayer to thank God, they can now peacefully partake the food that is not possible if something untoward incident happened.

The land installation in Lacson Estate is only one of the many installations conducted by the BAGASSE ( Bisaya Alliance for Growth and Sustainability of Sugar Estates). It gave lessons on how to organize a solid organization capable of facing sacrifices to be able to claim their rights to the land already awarded them. This serves as an inspiration to other member organization of BAGASSE.

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A day in the life of a development worker

A TRIUMPH OF BLOOD, SWEAT AND PURE SyNERGY

CANLAON CITY – It was the 8^th of July, 1999. I woke up at 3:30 in the morning, took breakfast at four, and got a taxi to catch up with the first-trip bus bound for Toledo City, south of Cebu, The Philippines. While on a two-hour journey, thoughts on what could happen in the next few days, weeks, months and years to the fate of agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) of Carolina Lacson Estate located at barangay Mabigo II, Kanlaon City, Negros Oriental, occupied my mind. One hundred thirty-two ARBs wanted the 208 hectares of land planted to sugarcane former owners, the Lacson family, branded by their enemies as one of a few traditionally despotic sugar planters in Oriental.

I arrived in Toledo City way past 7 AM only to be transferred to a boat for another two-hour cruise to San Carlos City, and then to another bus at 9:30 AM for a full-hour ride here to Kanlaon City. It was a cold morning and you can smell the morning breeze while passing through the mountainous terrain and zigzag roads toward the Mount Kanlaon’s haven.

The ARBs were gathered in the backyard of one of the leaders when we arrived. Tension was high seeing the farmers tuck in their bolos and spading on their waists. Their women were busy preparing balinghoy (cassava) and bulad (dried fish) for lunch. After the usual warm welcome by the local folks, the meeting begun.

Presiding over the emotion-filled meeting was the ARB chairman, Neonito “Nonoy” Ordaniel, as threats from the former landowner that they would be arrested once the installation to the land pushed through, kept on coming. Ordaniel commenced with a mouthful of legalese: “We have evidence to prove our claims; we are not violating any laws. We had in our possession the certificate of land ownership award (CLOA), together with the certificate of deposit as proof that the government, through the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), had already paid the Lacsons their just compensation.”

One farmer declared: “Ngano man mahadlok ta nga aduna man tay legal nga basehanan (Why are we afraid, we have all the legal bases)?” To which a woman responded, by asking: “Andam ba ta tanan nga mapreso” (Are we prepared to be imprisoned)? A moment of silence ensued, only to be broken by another courageous voice who shouted back: “Dili ta mahadlok nga mapreso… Padayon (Don’t be afraid, let’s go on with the plan)!” The ARBs agreed; they yelled back in chorus: “Padayon!” The collective sentiments of the organization sealed their determination and readiness to face any eventualities, come what may.

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