Let's help the Sumilao Farmers!

Last night I saw The Correspondents episode on the march of the Sumilao Farmers.

The Sumilao farmers are from Bukidnon, and in a bid for justice, they will march from Sumilao, Bukidnon all the way to Manila. Mindanao to Manila.

The story is, Norberto Quisumbing used to own the land in Sumilao, but under the CARP law, he was supposed to distribute it among the farmers. Ginawa nya, he applied the land under the conversion program. The law states that he gets to keep his land provided he converts the land for other purposes. He said he was going to put up a school, a hospital and an agro industrial park.

Well, guess what, years after his application gets approved, walang ni isang building syang pinatayo. Instead, he sells the land to San Miguel. According to the law, in case of a conversion, the land must be converted within the year. Meaning, dapat nasimulan at natapos na ang mga dapat pinapatayo na building sa lupang pina convert sa loob ng isang taon. In case of a sale daw, all the provisions of the conversion should still be followed by the new owner. Kaya lang, San Miguel says wala na silang kinalaman sa CARP law so they refuse to give the land to the farmers.

Fidel V. Ramos actually distributed the land between Quisumbing and the farmers already, but for some reason, nireverse ito ng Supreme Court. The Supreme Court declared their reversal as final and irrevocable, even by the current President.

Wala talagang hustisya sa mundong ito minsan.

At etong official from DAR, forgot his name, sabi ba naman naghahanap lang ng media exposure ang mga farmers for their obviously hopeless cause dahil maski presidente, wala nang magagawa sa desisyon ng Korte Suprema.

This walk, this thousand-mile walk, is all these farmers can do. This is the only way they can make their voices heard. They're starving at home, they can't send their kids to school and they can't live decent lives. Wala talagang dignidad. It's fucking heartbreaking, what they're doing. They brave the heat and the rain, they get sick, they get separated from their families and they have to put up with bullshit from the government and the agencies which are supposed to watch for their welfare. Tangena yan.

Wala tayong magagawang malaki siguro, dahil hindi naman natin hawak ang gobyerno at hindi naman tayo ang nagmamayari ng lupa, but there's SOMETHING we can do. This is a fight for justice, plain and simple and we can't just sit here and do nothing.

Sign this petition and make your voice count!
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/sumilaofarmers/

If you want to know more, visit sumilaomarch.multiply.com