Poor and Landless
In Tarlac
province, about 100 kms north of Manila, Hacienda Luisita was once touted as a
showcase of the land reform program. Here, however, CARP has failed to win the
hearts and minds of farmers: In recent random interviews, they told Bulatlat.com
that their lives have been ruined further because of CARP. Luisita is owned by
the family of former President Corazon Cojuangco Aquino.
One of the
workers, Francisco Nakpil, is an agricultural worker in the sugarcane
plantation of Hacienda Luisita, Inc. (HLI) for 45 years. When the stock
distribution options (SDO) scheme under CARP was introduced in the hacienda in
1989, Nakpil became one of the 7,000 workers who became instant “stockholders”
of the agro-corporation. Within 30 years under this scheme, hacienda owners
were to transfer 32 percent of the total stocks of the company to the farm
workers.
For the past 15
years, Nakpil received an average daily wage of P9, a sack of rice every month,
a P4,000 educational loan every June and an average annual three percent profit
share of around P2,000. Based on reasonable market price equivalents of the
material benefits, Nakpil was in effect getting an average yearly income of
P17,760 - or P48.66 daily. For being an HLI stockholder, he also got a 240
square meter home lot.
Yet, has Nakpil
become richer through the land reform program?
Today at 62,
Nakpil says he has only a home lot souvenir from the HLI, a P20,000 separation
pay, and some P2,600 monthly pension from the Social Security System. His
retirement ended his profit share from the HLI. He does not have land to pass
on to his children. His monthly pension gave him just P86 a day that can hardly
meet his family’s needs.
And so his answer in Filipino: “I am poor, past and
present.”
LET'S REFLECT:
FILIPINO FARMERS
Who are they?
- They're the ones who strive hard to keep Philippines Economy afloat
- They're the reason why we Filipinos have food on our plate
- They always do the hard work
- They do not complain about the work they have to endure all the time
- They work under the hot blazing sun
- Some have chose working at an early age rather than to study
- They're the backbone of Agriculture
They only have one request. To have a land of their own
HACIENDA LUISITA
Hacienda Luisita. Is one of the biggest lands here in the Philippines. It also one of the main issues of the Philippines. Farmers of Hacienda Luisita have requested to be given land prior to their hardwork and the poverty they have been enduring. Yet, the never ending issue still is yet left unresolved for so many years. On the year 2011, the government issued this supposed solutions for the poor farmers of Hacienda Luisita. They made them choose between land and stock. Of course, some did choose the land and others the stock. We normal citizens of the Philippines thought that for a moment we would have resolved this, but unfortunately not. To those who chose the stocks, they were fooled. Like the story of Farmer Francisco Nacpil. The government may say the problem and issue of Hacienda Luisita my have been solved. But poverty is still ramphant within the vicinity of land. The owners of Hacienda Luisita have no hearts at all. They let poor people be more poorer rather than to help them. This case, is just some of the uglyness of the government, the rich people and the owners of Hacienda Luisita.
My Reflection:
The rich people only want to satisfy their needs. They only want to be able to fulfill their satisfaction in life. They will even go to the lenghts of letting others fall in the process. Their journey to never ending money and riches and power will lead them to a life full of lies, corruption and sin. Those who suffer are the ones who strive hard and hope for the best in their lives. They have yet to see the wonders of life. These are just some of the basic facts that are needed to be pointed out. In life, you can't always get what you want. Sometimes life is always unfair. The things you want to have are not the ones that are meant for you. In this unfortunate turn of events however, we (not all) want whats best for others who really deserve what they need. We want others to have what's coming to them. Our farmers, should have what's coming for them. I know, things will change for the better, the farmers will have a land of their own, the rich people will gets whats coming to them and that would be severe consequences. Farmers like Franciso Nacpil should wait for this time. God moves in mysterious ways. He knows whats best for us. We just have to be patient and wait.
