"Sowing the seeds of Struggle,
Reaping the harvest of Freedom"
(Notes on the Filipino peasant as a force
against the ever-oppressive order)
By Kat Ulrike
At first, this note expresses support for the Filipino peasant in this month commemorating their hard work and their struggle for land, life, and justice against inequality, feudal injustice, and state-sponsored terrorism. That even in a time of global pandemic and its effects in the national life and its economy, the Filipino peasant remains a "vital position" and a "formidable force" in advancing the people's struggle against the ever-present tyrannical order.
For in this continuing past, the plight of the peasant masses bear the burden brought by poverty, oppression, and tyranny brought by local landlords, comprador-traders, and corrupt bureaucrats and its attack dogs. Also aggravated by the COVID19 pandemic that has affected local and global supply chains, the peasantry faces a situation that slows down production, enough for the international community sounding alarm on the very real possibility of food shortages and famines at worst.
But in this present Duterte regime, poverty incidence amongst farmers and fisherfolks continue to remain highest in the country despite the administration's "developments" in agriculture prior to the pandemic and other press releases. It is unsurprising, especially that with the 2019 Rice Tarrification Law and other related acts, these drags domestic rice production down despite promises of "support" from the "rice competitiveness fund" coming from tariffs- that even consumers also affected by perennial price hikes as a result of inbridled rice imports by entrenched interests.
Furthermore, programs like the "Build Build Build" becomes an opportunity for developers and exploiters alike to aggressively convert farmlands, forests all for infrastructure, real-estate, or commercial purposes while displacing peasants from their only means of livelihood. Even ancestral domains of national minorities such as the Lumads and Cordillerans also affected by the actions brought about by the present order's brand of "development"- that in Mindanao, most productive lands are set to be converted into infrastructure projects such as the Mindanao Railway Project; or in Cordillera, wherein a new Chico river Dam project may flood villages and displace its people.
Recently, the price of vegetables and rice was at its lowest forcing farmers either to rot their produce or still face the cycle of usurious debt all to make both ends meet. For sure the Agriculture Department "tries to resolve" such as its "farmers markets", but can't face the fact that these farmers faced no support from supposed concerned authorities while saddled by the rising costs of production and at the same time facing dwindling farmgate prices.
These problems, ranging from landgrabbing, cheats from middlemen, exorbitant taxes, to those of usury and others oppressive in nature continue to aggravate the lives and labours of Filipino peasantry. What more of an ever-existing repression and fetid corruption brought by the bureaucrats and its attack dogs in uniform. Even in this pandemic period where people are in demand of support, the regime shortchanged peasants and food production with the agriculture sector set to receive a measly 1.5% of taxpayer's money while allocating a lion's share of pork barrels all in preparation for the 2022 elections to those of additional budget for both defence and internal security. The latter, of course, serves no purpose other than to perpetuate state terrorism against the folk, especially with the recent passage of the Anti-Terrorism Act that targets those who actively against the regime and its unjust policies especially the peasants, indigenous peoples, and the urban poor, who altogether at the mercy of that repressive law that has vilified their struggle for rights and welfare.
Not surprising isn't it that the regime has ever continued its blood-soiled action. Be it in a form of extrajudicial killings to those of vilifications and slander, the regime's perchance to oppress the folk intensifies popular hatred no matter how apologists tries to divert the blame to its political rivals. These also shows how the regime continues to be in connivance with the landed gentries and compradores in maintaining its foothold while continuing its subservience to foreign interests with latter's promises of loans for various projects. It doesn't matter how it affects the farmers, fisherfolks, indigenous peoples, and the urban poor so long as projects like the Kaliwa Dam, the "Aerotropolis" at Bulacan, and other projects under the "Build Build Build" continue and be profited by interest seekers both private and in the government.
Also wouldn't be surprised that it is the system's fault for not addressing food security all because of not addressing the plight of the farmers, what more of favouring entrenched interests in the agricultural sector.
But in spite of these challenges, the Filipino peasants, along with the other affected sectors, continues to assert land, bread, peace and justice. Regardless of the slander, harassment, and coercion brought by the order, as well as this ever-present pandemic, that actions such as the recent protest in Mendiola to those of appeals for immediate relief for the affected sectors shows how these affected folks continue to sow the seeds of resistance that neither the order's oppression nor the pandemic can stop the struggle from ever growing be it in the metro to those of the countryside- and that struggle isn't just about reclaiming their lands, livelihood, or the country itself and its future, but to dismantle the very system that enabled its centuries-old oppression and its continuity of injustice.
And even in this pandemic period, hope that the people continues to support peasants and fisherfolks in their campaigns and programs in promoting food security and rural empowerment, of sowing the seeds of struggle and reaping the harvests of freedom. The order may parrot words like "development" the way it also preaches terms like "freedom" or "democracy", but for whom that word "development", "freedom", or "democracy" truly benefits in the countryside?