Peasant organizations and agrarian reform advocacy groups in Negros Occidental are taking part in the campaign to gather three million signatures of farmers to prod legislators to pass a law extending the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program after it expires in 2008.

The groups involved are the Comprehensive ARB Initiative for Negros Empowerment, Agrarian Reform Advocates-Negros, Sugar Workers Alliance In Negros, Negros Unity Forum on Agrarian Reform, Asosasyon sang Mangunguma sa Industriya sang Kalamay as Negros , Provincial Alliance of Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries and Advocates of Negros and AKBAYAN-Negros.

Convenor Kid Bañas said in a press statement that the launching of the signature drive today will coincide with the mass gathering of farmers in front of the House of Representatives for the hearing of the CARP extension bills.

He said they want to show the congress and the public that there is a strong demand in the rural areas for the extension of CARP and for continuance of land distribution to the poor farmers and farm workers.

Bañas said they don't only want an extension of CARP, but also the land acquisition and distribution component to remain a major part of the program.

He said the signature campaign, will be brought in the farmers regional conferences that are being held to establish the nationwide network for the CARP extension campaign.

He said the farmers have also hit Rep. Ignacio Arroyo (5th District, Neg. Occ.) and the big landowners of Negros Occidental for their alleged efforts to stop the implementation of CARP.

Pastor Emmanuel Alano of ARA-Negros also said Arroyo was among the lawmakers who are actively collaborating with landlords to stop the extension of CARP, and initiated the formation of the Concerned Landowners of Negros that opposes the program.

But Arroyo had said Monday his family had already given up a fair share of their landholdings in Negros Occidental to the CARP.

The DAR Public Affairs Office also said in earlier statement that Arroyo and Cebu Rep. Pablo Garcia did not object during the deliberation of the seven House bills that sought for CARP extension last month.

Meanwhile, Charlie Avila, a member of the PDSP Agrarian Reform and Rural Development Cluster, said a thorough review and reexamination of the land reform program is needed.*NLG

back to top