Mindanao farmers call for passage of stronger agrarian reform bill

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines – Hundreds of farmers from Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon are pressing for the passage in Congress of the Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill (GARB), saying it would be the only way to free them from poverty and debts.

Richard Colao, secretary general of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas-Northern Mindanao Region, said they were also opposing a proposal to extend the “already extended Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program” as this would only be a waste of money and that only landlords would benefit from it.

“The more than twenty years implementation of the most brutal expensive land reform program – CARP, has yielded not an empowered agricultural sector much more break feudal power of landlords in the countryside,” Colao said.

Danny Meninte of the Kahugpungan sa mga Mag-uuma sa Bukidnon (Kasama Bukidnon) said that under the CARP program, the government paid a total of P82 billion to landlords.

“This will not, and never will resolve the agrarian problem as the current framework of land distribution with compensation has proven to be charade,” Colao said.

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