Landless farmers gather at Mendiola

MANILA, Philippines - At least 5,000 landless farmers are expected to troop to Mendiola in Manila to demand that the Aquino administration completely implement the government’s agrarian reform program.

In a statement issued yesterday, Task Force Mapalad (TFM) said farmers from Negros, Mindanao and Luzon started gathering Friday and will be there until June 10 to compel the government to complete the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms.

TFM leaders said the Department of Agrarian Reform promised to distribute 32,000 hectares of land in Negros Occidental this year, but records show that DAR Secretary Virgilio de los Reyes was only able to distribute 2,467 hectares from July 2010 to March 2012.

Alberto Jayme, TFM Negros president, said De los Reyes “may have computerized the listing of the beneficiaries in the 6,445-hectare Hacienda Luisita but he has not even issued notices of coverage (NOCs) on big estates in Negros island and has not moved to reduce in a decent manner the huge backlog in land acquisition and distribution in the island.”

The TFM challenged President Aquino to distribute 1.093 million hectares of land that “has taken an eternity for DAR and De los Reyes to give away.”