Farmers display own version of ‘Red October’ in Bohol rally

Farmers from different organization hold placards and banners to protest the high prices of commodities in the province during the “Red October” rally held in Tagbilaran City in Bohol province. INQUIRER Visayas photo / Leo Udtohan

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol–At least 500 Boholano farmers held a protest rally on Friday afternoon for the so called “Red October” which coincided with the celebration of the World Food Day.

Progressive and cause-oriented organizations such as Hugpong sa mga Mag-uumang Bol-anon (Humabol), Sabakan-Amihan, Gabriela-Bohol, Anakbayan, Karapatan—gathered at the Tagbilaran City Square area to hold a protest rally against various issues and grievances.

Members carried placards and banners to convey their messages on the national and local issues.

The groups asserted the rights of the people to rage against hunger, poverty and fascism in the midst of soaring prices of rice and other basic commodities.

Humabol said farmers from the second district of Bohol led by Humabol chairperson Danilo Olayvar had passed by 3 PNP checkpoints already on their way to Tagbilaran City for today’s protest.

Humabol said they had no permit to hold a rally since the city government of Tagbilaran refused to issue a permit for the march-rally citing traffic as a reason.

But Humabol asserted that ordinances and mere memos cannot supersede people’s constitutional right to peacefully assemble to air out grievances. Olayvar said that the gathering was “Red October” for farmers and fisherfolks.

“October is red with the blood of 163 farmers killed under the tyrant Duterte for fighting for genuine land reform,” said Olayvar.

He said that although they are farmers but they don’t have enough food for the day.

“October is red because the people are being slowly killed by hunger due to all-time high prices of food caused by Duterte’s TRAIN law.

What we marked on Oct. 16 was not World Food Day but World Foodless Day,” he added.

The group “Sabakan-Amihan” said that farmers who feed the people are the ones suffering from hunger because the government neglected the agriculture sector for the longest time.

“Duterte’s TRAIN law causes price hike of basic products like rice, buried us deeper in poverty,” the group statement said.

Nelson Lumantas, secretary general of Humabol, said that Bohol farmers continue to suffer low productivity due to the government’s underinvestment in agriculture and infrastructure.

For the local issues, fishermen from Ubay and Candijay expressed their opposition to eco-tourism and the planned reclamation along the coastline of Barangays Tapon and Fatima in Ubay town where thousands will be dislocated in favor a few big businesses.

The protest rally ended peacefully with no reported incidence of violence and altercations. /jpv