Public participatory process in response to landgrabbing cases: The Philippine Context
Transcript of Public participatory process in response to landgrabbing cases: The Philippine Context
Presentation Outline A. The Philippine Context – An
Agricultural Country
B. Government Laws and Programs that Paved the way for Land Expropriation – Mining and Land Use Conversion
C. Notable Cases of Land Grabbing and Mining For What and By Whom ?
D. How the Filipino Farmers and CSO’s Responded?
Case Stories: Towards Pro People Mining Bill; Against the Intrusion of Palm Oil in Bohol; SRFA Land Struggle in Aloguinsan, Cebu; the Hacienda Luisita Farmworkers’ Crusade; Defending the Food Basket versus Biofuels Conversion in Isabela
Land Profile in the Philippines 30 Million hectares = total land area
In 1991, 14.1 million hectares are agricultural lands
In 2012, 13,088 million hectares are agricultural lands
In 21 years, 1.012 million hectares of agricultural lands lost
Average of 48,190 has/year lost
According to BAS, since 1991 a yearly decrease of 27,000 hectares of agricultural lands due to land use conversion
Major Agricultural Crops in the Philippines (NSCB data)
2,910,877 6. Other Crops
58,000 5. Mango
395,700 4. Sugarcane
3,005,800 3. Corn
3,651,015 2. Rice
3,066,700 1. Coconut
Hectares (Million) of Agricultural
Lands
Crops
Importance of Farmers/Agriculture to Philippine Economy
Agriculture is the backbone of Philippine
economy - main generator of employment -
majority of the labor force (more than 60%
from the NSO data) are farmers /farm workers
Small farmers comprise 70% of the Philippine
population with an average farm size of .2 to
.5 hectare
7 out of 10 farmers do not own the land they
cultivate. The remaining 3 who own their land
are not secure if they can continue farming
Landowners also resorted to legal maneuvers
and militarization to harass farmers to give up
their lands
THE CURRENT STATE OF PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE
• Chemical farming is prevalent among most of the farmers
due to Green revolution since 1970’s and is depleting the
fertility of the soil
• AgroChemical Transnational Corp. Introduced GMO’s – Bt.
Corn, Bt eggplant and Golden Rice
• Farm inputs are overpriced and controlled by big
corporations and big local traders
• Farm products are underpriced – farmers are not the ones
setting the price of their produce
• Lack of government support
Current State of the Philippine Agriculture
Land Ownership Monopoly and Landlessness among farmers
1/3 of landlords in the country owns 80% of agricultural lands
Of the agricultural areas nationwide about 51% is under tenancy, lease or
other forms of tenurial arrangements
In the beginning of CARP, DAR targeted 10.3 million hectares for
distribution. But, 26 years after CARP and 41 years after PD 27, vast tracts
of land remain intact. Only 1.9 million hectares were covered (by PD 27 and
CARP), of these 82% are still contested and/or not actually distributed or
reversed.
If there are poor farmers who have managed to stay on the land to farm,
that is due to their collective and empowered assertions of their rights -
resulting from development work efforts
Table 2: Distribution of Land Ownership
Farm Size (in hectares)
Number of Owners Overall Percentage (%)
Land Size (in hectares)
Overall Percentage (%)
50.1 or more 9,466 0.45 1,854,179 20.79
24.1 – 50 20,353 0.99 654,828 7.34
15.1 – 24 48,376 2.35 912,790 10.24
12.1 – 15 33,929 1.64 454,953 5.10
7.1 – 12 158,879 7.70 1,451,412 16.28
3.1 – 7 414,209 20.08 1,934,289 21.68
3 or less 1,377,508 66.78 1,655,550 18.56
Total 2,062,720 100.00 8,918,011 100.00
Source: KMP, 2006
Hacienda / Land Lord Hectares Place
Danding Cojuangco Jr. 30,000 Negros, Isabela, Cagayan, Davao del Sur, Cotabato, Palawan
Hacienda San Antonio and Hacienda Sta. Isabel (Danding Cojuangco Jr.,
Faustino Dy, Juan Ponce Enrile)
13,085 Ilagan, Isabela
Nestle Farms 10,000 (as of now) 160,000 is their target Isabela, Cagayan, Compostela Valley, Agusan Sur
Floreindo Family
(TADECO)
11,048 (including Davao Penal Colony) Davao del Norte
Almagro Family 10,000 Dalaguete, Cebu
Dimaporo Family 10,000 Lanao
Hacienda de Santos 9,700 Nueva Ecija
Hacienda Banilad and Hacienda Palico (Roxas Family) 8,500 Batangas
Canlubang Sugar Estate
(Yulo Family)
7,100 Laguna
Luisa vda de Tinio 7,000 Nueva Ecija
Hacienda Luisita
(Cojuangco Family)
6,000 Tarlac
Escudero Family 4,000 Southern Tagalog
Andres Guanzon 2,945 Pampanga
Reyes Family 2,257 Southern Tagalog
Sanggalang Family 1,600 Southern Tagalog
Uy Family 1,500 Southern Tagalog
Palmares and Co. Inc 1,027 Iloilo
Table 3. Partial list of Haciendas in the country (size in hectares and place)
Source: KMP (Peasant Movement in the Philippines) Research 2005
Land Grabbing, defined….
“It's not necessarily a problem when wealthy companies invest in agricultural
land in poor countries for commercial use. But when families are kicked off the
land or less food is grown as a result, that's a very big problem indeed.” Oxfam
International
“Land grabbing' occurs when local communities and individuals lose access to land
that they previously used, threatening their livelihoods. This land is acquired by
outside private investors, companies, governments, and national elites.
Communities and individuals can be poorly informed of the consequences, with
little rights to stop the land acquisition. The land is then typically used for
commodity crops, including agrofuels, sold on the overseas market.” (Friends of the
Earth Europe )
Land Grabbing as experienced by Filipino farmers
is …… “The taking away of the lands cultivated by small
farmers and the communities, often facilitated by the
“government” either legally or “illegally” to be
converted into commercial, industrial, tourism, mega
dams, agribusiness or large scale - mining uses by
the foreign companies and/or big business, without the
benefit of fair compensation and proper relocation,
and employing deception and harassment and at
worst, extra judicial killings against the poor farmers
and human rights defenders …..”
1. CARP RA 6657 (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law) - its loopholes
From 1988 to end of June 1995 , (7) years after CARP, approximately 33,707 hectares of agricultural lands converted to other uses.
17,348 hectares or more than 50% of the
agricultural land issued a conversion order were exempted from CARP by virtue of DOJ 44.
How did government laws and programs paved the way for
rampant conversion of agricultural lands and land grabbing?
Section 3 (c) provides: Agricultural Land refers to land devoted to agricultural activity as defined in this Act and not classified as mineral, forest, residential, commercial or industrial land.
How did CARP define ‘agricultural land’?
• Classification or reclassification of lands is subject to the authority of LGU’s
under section 20 of the Local Government Code.
• Some lands have already been classified or reclassified prior to the the RA
6657 either by LGU or other government entities.
• Agricultural lands should be defined according to
actual use and not according to what they were
declared to be by a government entity.
Implication of the definition:
Section 8 of RA 6657 legalized and allowed (MNCs) to maintain their control and operation of vast tracts of agricultural lands through lease, management, grower or service contracts for a period not exceeding twenty-five years, renewable for not more than twenty-five years.
As a result of this provision, lands leased to foreign corporations like Dole and Del Monte remained untouched. They keep 220,000 hectares of agricultural lands devoted to production of export crops - opted to be covered by the non-land transfer schemes of CARP.
Non-Land Transfer Schemes Under CARP
Farmers-beneficiaries not be able to exercise right of ownership over the land - the corporation retains ownership.
Management manipulate the income and loss statement to make it appear that the business is losing.
Famers thrown into a world totally alien to them - Corporation laws? Board of Directors?
Representation ? Etc?
Farmers still under the control of the landowners and no freedom to cultivate and develop the lands according to indigenous own methods or practice.
Relations governed by contractual stipulations, security of tenure easily negated and easily end up losing the land by simple expedient claim by the landlord of violation of the terms and conditions
How did non-land transfer scheme
affected the farmers
Section 31 of RA 6657 provided for the Stock Distribution Option (SDO) as alternative to actual land distribution.
Instead of land, farmers were given shares of stock and became co-owners with the landlord of the stock corporation.
Farmers’ capital is the land but they surrender the control and ownership of the land to the corporation.
The more than 6000 – hectare hacienda Luisita in Tarlac -
The Stock Distribution Option
• In conjunction with section 20 of the Local Government Code and the case of Province of Camarines Sur vs. Court of Appeals, 222 SCRA 173 (1993), local government units have power to reclassify lands and adopt zoning plans or ordinances. This provision of LGC and section 65 being availed of by landowners to exempt land from CARP coverage.
• Landowners easily “influence” a Sanguinang Bayan to adopt a zoning ordinance to suit their needs. After a zoning ordinance is adopted, they petition DAR to exempt their landholdings from CARP coverage. Eventually, they apply for conversion.
Section 20 of the Local Government Code
• DOJ 44 is an opinion by then DOJ Secretary Drilon in 1990 that lands already reclassified into residential, industrial or commercial use or purpose prior to June 15, 1988 are not covered by CARP. In which case, landowners no longer need any conversion clearance from DAR to convert the same into non-agricultural uses. The DOJ based its opinion on the definition of agricultural land under CARP
• In 1993, the Supreme Court upheld the opinion and on that basis,
thousands of hectares were exempted from CARP. The case is “Natalia Realty vs. DAR 225 SCRA 278”
• The DOJ Opinion paved the way for rampant land use conversion.
What is DOJ 44?
Based on September 2007 DAR report:
No. of cancelled EPs – 5,049
No. of Cancelled CLOAs – 103,092
Hectares of lands involved – 204,579
The data do not include pending cases for cancellation of EP and CLOAs before the DAR
According to IBON Foundation, by the middle of 2004, more than 20,000 EPs and CLOAs, covering 380,000 hectares of land were cancelled.
No. of cancelled CLOA’s for CARP and EP’s for PD 27
Gov’t Laws ...
2. Mining Act of 1995 - Republic Act 7942 – the
liberalization of the Philippine Mining Industry to
foreign investors
“The government's current mining
program is hinged on the extraction
and export of Philippine minerals to
foreign markets…….
…….where investors straddle the rush
to cash in on volatile and speculative
metals markets and the lucrative sell-
out of mineral ores.
…. failed to create significant gains
on domestic employment and
development and devastated
ecosystems which are the lifeblood of
the nation's agriculture and fisheries-
dependent communities.”
Center for Environmental Concerns (CEC)
MINING COMPANIES IN
CARAGA – Region XIII
10 of the 22 Operating
Mining Expansion Projects
are in the Caraga Region
Government laws …. 3. Bio-fuels Act of 2006 – RA 9367
to develop local bio-fuels from sugarcane, jathropa, cassava, (dwarf) coconut and hybrid corn
Targeting 10 plants (Quezon City, San Carlos City (Neg Occ), Tamlang Valley (Negros Oriental) and expanding in Cebu, Bohol, Mindanao and Batangas
Photo: Sugar Regulatory Administration
Kumpanya Operasyon
Saudi Aramco (Saudi Arabia) Ethanol plant sa Mindanao ($300 M, bahagi)
Bronzeoak Phils. (UK) Operasyon ng ethanol plant sa Negros Occ.
Marubeni (Japan) Exploratory, proyektong pang-ethanol
Toyo Engineering (Japan) Coco-diesel production [hanggang P1 M/ektarya]
Chemrez Technologies Eksporter ng coco-diesel sa Europa (15.6 M L per year)
BUSCO Ethanol production (feasibility stage)
Tamlang Valley Agri. Dev. Corp. Ethanol production
Senbel Fine Chemicals Co. Inc. Coco-diesel plant facilities sa Lucena City
Romtron Coco-diesel plant (1,000 L per day)
Atson Coco Inc. Coco-diesel plant (600,000 L per day)
D1 Oils - BP (UK) Jatropha production
National Resources Grp. (UK) Jatropha production, biofuels refineries ($1.3 B)
Cosmo Oil (Japan) Biodiesel & bioethanol plants ($150 M)
Tinipon ng IBON Research
Inisyal na listahan ng mga kumpanya ng biofuels sa Pilipinas
Gov’t Laws…. 4. RA 7652 – Investors Lease Act
“It is hereby declared the policy of the State to
encourage foreign investments consistent with the
constitutional mandate to conserve and develop our
own patrimony. Towards this end, the State hereby
adopts a flexible and dynamic policy of the granting
of long-term lease on private lands to foreign
investors for the establishment of industrial estates,
factories, assembly or processing plants, agro-
industrial enterprises, land development for
industrial, or commercial use, tourism, and other
similar priority productive endeavors.”
Government Laws and Programs…..
5. Medium Term Philippine Development Plan/ Medium Term Agricultural
Development Plan - 2 million hectare of Agricultural Lands are for agri-
business
In the Philippines – oil palm plantation began
in late 60’s. The first in the country was
established by Menzi and Co. in Basilan. The
biggest was established in Agusan del Sur
owned by NDC and Guthrie of Malaysia. In
Mindanao – 304,350 hectares are eyed for oil
palm as identified by Southern Philippines
Development Authority.
Current total Oil Palm Plantation
in Philippines: 46,000 hectares
where the largest 53% is in
Region 13; (Agusan Province) 27%
in Region 12 (Cotabato and
Bukidnon) and 16% in Region 7
(Bohol)
Target Areas for Oil Palm Plantation *Jagna, Garcia Hernandez and Calape were added to the list .
*The original 11 municipalities has a total land area of 123,432 hectares wherein
PALM Inc. identified 45,000 hectares as potential plantation area.
Source: Bohol Agriculture Office
Gov’t Laws and Policies… 6. “No Build Zone Policy - No Dwelling Zone Policy – in Yolanda Affected Areas - PD 1027 based on Water Code of
1977 ---------- affected areas will be 97 kilometers in the coastal barangays of Leyte; 57 km in Samar and 997
kilometers in Eastern Samar
Total Hectarage of Lands Affected by Foreign Land
Grabbing Deals and Those Covered for Mining
Operations:
As of June 2012, estimated total of 1,750,000 hectares are
included in foreign land grabbing deals
Under the MTPDP program , 2 million hectares of agricultural lands are for agri-business
As of March 2013, government approved 1,042,531 hectares for MPSA
(Mineral Production Sharing Agreement), EP (Exploration Permits), FTAA (Financial and Technical Assistance
Agreement) and Quarrying which is already 3% of the country’s
total land area (www.cecphils.org )
In its 2002 report, the NSO cited that 827,892 hectares of agricultural land have been converted to other uses.
107,000 hectares of Irrigated rice lands have already been converted and lost according to NIA (National Irrigation Adminsitration)
In 2005, record of the Kalipunan ng Samahang Magbubukid sa Timog Katagalugan (KASAMA-TK) shows that in Southern Tagalog region alone, a total of 129,467 hectares of land were already converted into commercial and industrial zones displacing over 100,000 peasants. And there are still pending applications for conversion of 1.3 M hectares in this region alone.
Meanwhile, record of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) shows that in Cagayan Valley region, around 442,648 hectares of land were already covered by land-use conversions orders.
Land conversion, according to a source from DAR, is the “easiest way of circumventing the law.”
Note: Please refer to Annex – tabulation of Land Grabbing
Land Use Conversion is the name of the game
Public Participatory Responses – Specific Cases
1. The Struggle Against Large Scale Destructive Mining Operations
Public Clamor against Mining = Civil society advocacy campaigns, researches, legal and legislative engagements to question the constitutionality of the law, local government mining moratoriums, grassroots and community struggles, direct action, and even armed resistance to the entry and operations of mining firms.
Ban on open pit mining in South Cotabato – IP communities, CSO’s with support of the churches defended themselves against Tampakan copper – gold mining of SMI. Former Gov of South Cot stood against, Provincial Board enacted environmental code forbidding open pit mining . Result = Zijin Mining - a Chinese state owned enterprise which initially wanted to buy shares did not invest, Indophil stock lost (M. Reckordt and L. Breininger) and they withdrew from Xstrata
The Boac River disaster in Marinduque, Romblon with Placer Dome, Marcopper Mining Company
Province of Albay (Luzon) enacted a ban on all future mining after the case of Lafayette disaster in Rapu-rapu
Province of Zamboanga del Norte - local level discussion on ban of open pit mining - stemmed from water pollution and destruction of agricultural lands
Provinces of Batangas, Romblon, Mindoro Oriental and Western Samar – declared moratoriums
Public Participatory response – the
struggle against mining…. Formulation of legislative proposals to RA 7942 = Advocacy for New legislation started in 2005 =
the People's Mining Policy framework containing five major principles was drafted through
nationwide consultations.
Advocates and legislators have started to file bills reflecting this vision. Back in the 14th Congress in
2007 - 2010, HB 1973 (An Act Repealing RA 7942) was filed by Bayan Muna while HB 6342
(Alternative Mining Bill) was filed in 2009 by then Cong. Tanada. These were lodged in the
Committee on Environment and Natural Resources then under the chairmanship of Rep. Ignacio
Arroyo, but remained undeliberated upon until now.
More than 2 decades since large scale foreign mining companies entered the Philippines, the
promise of alleviating the economy never happened. In terms of GDP, it only contributed less
than 2% . Secondly, as to employment, it is even less than 4% - who are even underpaid
workers. Human rights violations and the devastation of environment and destruction of farming
and fishing - cases of fish kills - - in the case of Placerdome in Marinduque, they even did not
realize their promise to compensate for whatever damage they have caused to the environment
and community
2. SRFA Farmers Thwarted Land Grabbing of
their 168 farms in Aloguinsan, Cebu
111 families cultivated the 168 has prime agricultural areas in Bonbon,
Aloguinsan, Cebu which were passed to them by their forefathers since
1910’s.
Gantuangco’s claimed ownership to the land and treated them as tenants,
oppressed them until farmers formed SRFA.
In mid 90’s, they learned that the 168 hectare land is actually classified as
“public land” and Gantuangco’s have no legal claim of ownership
SRFA collectively developed their farms and led in putting up and managing
communal sustainable agriculture farms, water projects and other
community projects responding to their needs
Since 2010 until August 2011, Gantunagco started to harass and eject them
using armed security guards and police and the Regional Trial Court but SRFA
succeeded in stopping them
In August 29, 2011 – Gantuangco’s sent 300 police and hired armed goons. 39
farmers who resisted the fencing of the land were arrested and detained – the
charges were resisting arrest and assault against authorities. They were
detained for 6 days until FARDEC bailed them out of prison.
On September 6, they reclaimed again the 168 – hectare land and continued
cultivating the land even with 8 “criminal cases” faced by them in court
Public Participatory Response:
3. People’s Land Reform in Hacienda Luisita, Tarlac
cultivation started in 2006, about 2,000 has. have been made productive in 10 villages comprising the hacienda. Of the 2,000 has., about 700 has. have been planted to rice and some 60 has. planted to vegetables. More than 1,000 families are now tilling an average of two to 2 ½ has. This victory is a result of the agricultural workers struggle.
In April 2012, the SC decided to finally distribute lands to its tillers paying half a billion to the Cojuangcos – Aquino family
As of latest however, despite the NOC from DAR issued in Dec 2013, TADECO fenced the farmers within barangays balete, bulldozed the rice and vegetable farms in barangay cutcut and the armed guards and police kept on harassing them to vacate the lands that they have cultivated into rice farms ….. But, farmers are still holding on despite such a difficult situation coz they have nowhere else to go and to survive……
Public Participatory Response ….. 4. Against the Intrusion of Palm Oil in Bohol PALM Inc owned by Malaysian Coy wanted to convert 45000 hectares of lands in Bohol island into an Oil Palm Plantation
Provincial farmers federation HUMABOL opposed to this for its threat of land grabbing and food insecurity since Bohol is the rice granary in Central Visayas
PNFSP member – FARDEC led in the conduct of research regarding the impact of a Palm Oil Industry including the environmental pollution of water table especially because the quality of soil in Bohol is mainly karst
All NGO’s in Bohol or the entire CSO’s are also united to stop the project including the Roman Catholic Church – it includes in its Sunday homilies
Mass mobilizations – dialogs and rallies were done by farmers federation including its strong opposition in stopping the putting up of nursery of Oil Palm seedlings in Trinidad, Bohol
This resulted to: INSTEAD OF 45,000 HECTARES, ONLY 6000 HECTARES WERE MATERIALIZED FOR THE PALM OIL PLANTATION in Bohol. The nursery which they put up in Ubay Stock Farm was forcibly closed upon the lobby and demand of the farmers organization NAUMA and other residents who could not agree that their source of water will be contaminated by the chemical fertilizers and pesticides intensively used in palm oil plantations
As of latest, even some of those farmers who were deceived to plant oil palm with a promise of “prosperity” now experienced and realized how they were at a loss – oil palm fruits – oil palm fruits could not be bought at the promised price by PALM Inc. And these were left rotten in the fields with these farmers turned contract growers tied to debts and their CLOA’s already used as “collateral” to the banks to where they incurred their loans – for the cost of seedlings, fertilizers, pesticides when they started to plant Oil Palm…..
So now, these farmers are reaching out to HUMABOL and FARDEC for help in demanding for a rightful price of their oil palm fruits…………
Public Participatory Response ….. 5. Defending the Food Basket versus
Bio-fuels Project in San Mariano,
Isabela
Green Futures Innovations owned by Japanese and Filipino planned to convert 11000 has of land in San Mariano, Isabela to be planted with jathropa for biofuels.
Isabela is one of the main food basket in the country where rice and corn are grown especially traditional varieties. In fact, farmers organizations especially in San Mariano are starting their efforts of sustainable agriculture and propagating traditional rice and corn seed varieties.
San Mariano, Isabela has a 146,950 hectares with a population of 44,718 where ---- belong to IP called Agta
Then in 2008, came the threat of land grabbing and displacement due to this Biofuels Project of the Green Futures Innovations
An International Fact Finding Mission which includes Friends of the Earth Japan was organized to delve into the issues
Series of international lobby work especially in Japan and mass protest at our national and local governments were done. FOE Japan was really a big help in the international lobby
As a result, the bio-fuels project was moved out from San Mariano to another area, the expansion is delayed.
According to the UN Energy:
“The benefits to farmers are not assured. [Growing biofuel crops] can be especially harmful to farmers who do not own their land... At their worst, biofuel programmes can also result in a concentration of ownership that could drive the world's poorest farmers off their land and into deeper poverty”
Whatever happened to the MDG target of halving
the population in extreme poverty and hunger?
Number of
Hungry Year
2000
June 2013
Families 2.5 million 4.9 million
Population 15 million 30 million
Land Grabbing/Land Use Conversion is one of the most serious threat to Food Security in
our country ……..
net importer of rice, the biggest rice importer in
the world even if we are an agricultural country -
1.8 Million MT in 2008, targeting 1.4 Million MT
this 2014
Before Green Revolution, we have 4,419
traditional rice varieties - climate resilient and
grow without chemical fertilizers/pesticides
Rice price is so high aggravated by land use
conversion
As of June 2013, 4.9 million Filipino
families are experiencing hunger which means
not less than 30 Million of the population
(pre Yolanda)
Food Security according to
FAO and adopted by PNFSP Physical and economic access of all
people at all times to sufficient,
safe and nutritious food to lead a
healthy and active life
Major Preconditions:
1. Availability of sufficient food
2. Stability of food supply
3. Accessibility of food
4. Fair and equitable distribution of
food and resources
5. Quality of Food and nutrition
1. boosting local food production thru Genuine Land
Reform and sustainable agriculture practices
2. preserve lands for staple crops production instead of
encouraging land use conversion and crop conversion;
3. Repeal unjust laws, programs and policies - Mining
Act of 1995, Investors Lease Act, MTPDP/MTADP,
Bio-fuels Act of 2006, etc.
4. Enact and enforced good laws - 1987 Constitution
and Bill of Rights, Organic Agriculture Act, Genuine
Agrarian Reform Bill, Magna Carta of Small Farmers,
Moratorium on Land Use Conversion, Climate
Change Act, Clean Air Act, Renewable Energy Law,
etc.
Alternatives to Food Insecurity and
Mitigating Impact of Climate Change
We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors…., We are just borrowing it from the Next Generation….Nang Citas Tecson , a woman farmer from
Aloguinsan,
Cebu who almost lost her land to a land
grabber
Thanks…!!!
Notable Cases of land grabbing and farmers ejectment in the Philippines
Farm Size in
Hectares
Location Effects to Farmers Corporations/Landown
ers Involved/purpose
8650 hectares Hacienda Looc, Nasugbo,
Batangas
Declared as “tourism” zones and CLOA’s issued to
farmers were cancelled
400 hectares Aplaya Laiya, Batangas CLOA’s were also cancelled and farmers evicted Tourism Development Area
3,800 hectares CMU, Bukidnon 800 farming HH threatened to be displaced Leased to Local and foreign
agri business
96 has Hacienda Francisco
Pule
Alaminos, Laguna These parcels of land were placed under notice of coverage for several times. However, the landowner and developer lobbied with the Municipality for the adoption of a resolution reclassifying the land for commercial and industrial use. On the basis of the resolution, DAR exempted the land from coverage and granted conversion order. Farmers were forcibly evicted from the lands.
348 has Hacienda Jose
Pule
Sto. Tomas, Batangas
311 hectares San Jose del Monte,
Bulacan
Araneta Lands - Mar Roxas
family
400 has Rodriguez, Rizal Montalban Resources Trading
Inc.
76 has Rodriguez, Rizal New San Jose Builders inc.
Notable Cases of land grabbing and farmers ejectment in the Philippines
Farm Size in
Hectares
Location Effects on Farmers and Fisherfolks Corporations/Landown
ers Involved
70,000 Fort Magsaysay Nueva Ecija, Central Luzon Military Reservation
33,000 Tumandok area Panay region Military Reservation
11,000 San Mariano. Isabela For bio-ethanol production
35,000 South Cotabato Dole Philippines
6,458 Hacienda Luisita Barangays Balete and Cutcut in
Tarlac
TADECO (Tarlac Development
Corporation) owned by
Cojuangco family
2,000 Hacienda
Dolores
Porac, Pampangga Ayala
11,000 Hacienda Zobel Calatagan, Batangas
14,722 hectares Laoag, Bacarra and Paoay in
Ilocos Norte
Sta Lucia, Sta Catalina Vigan
and Caoayan in Ilocos Sur
Dagupan and San Fabian in
Pangasinan
Colossal Mining Corporation
for Magnetite and black sand
mining
13,483 hectares of
coastline
Cagayan Valley region Less fish catch of two to three fishes in a day
documented in Bisagu, Aparri, Cagayan
Mine wastes dumped in the farms
Soil sank, sea water enters the agricultural lands
and residential areas
Colossal Mining for Magnetite
extraction
Prominent Land Grabbing/Land Use Conversion Cases Farm Size in Hectares Location Effects to
Farmers/Fishers
Companies/Landowners
Involved
5000 hectares conversion
to sugarcane for
bioethanol
Neg Occidental Bronzeoak Ltd.
7,000 Kiblawan, Davao del Sur
and Tampakan, South
Cotabato
870 families directly
displaced and 7,241
farmers who depend on
irrigated farm lands
Xtrata Public Limited
Company, Sagitarius Mines
Inc and Tampakan Group
of Companies
400 hectares Salawag, Dasma, Cavite APEX and Pilar Dev’t Corporation
6000 Hacienda Aragoncillo Talisay, Laurel, Batangas 100 farming HH affected
217.6 hectares Silang and Dasmarinas, Cavite 30 farming HH
90 hectares Malolos and Calumpit, Bulacan Sta Lucia Realty Development
Corp.
232 hectares irrigated land Silang, Cavite Now converted into Cavite
Industrial estate
Marubeni Corp of Japan/National
Development Corporation
Notable Cases of Land Grabbing/Land use conversion…….
Farm Size in hectares Location Effects to
Farmers/Fis
hers
Corporations/
Landowners/Purpose
12,000 hectares Cagayan Province and
Aurora
CEZO (Cagayan Economic Zone) -
Juan Ponce Enrile /APECO (Aurora
Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport)
- Edgardo Angara
1,000 plus hectares Leyte Coastal areas Magnetite mining
19,000 hectares
Lingayen Gulf
Pangasinan, La Union,
Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte
Magnetite/black sand mining
58.5 Maghaway and Lawaan,
Talisay and Minglanilla,
Cebu
Camella Homes
2,640 Foreshore areas of
Cordova and Mactan Is. ,
Cebu
Cordova Reclamation and
Development Project
29 hectares Guimbawian,
Pinamungajan, Cebu
Sato Batanagol
Province Landowner/
Developer/
Project
Purpose/Converted
Into What?
Location Area
(ha)
Date Reported/
Documented
Cebu Sanremo Project Anapog & Bancasan,
San Remegio
150 6 Dec. 1993
Aboitiz & Co., Japanese
and British
Metal Casting, Ship
Building, Ship breaking
industry
Buanoy & Arpili,
Balamban
250 23 Dec. 1993
Hda. Luisa, Inc. Cayang, Bogo 118.1153 6 Dec. 1993
Japan Air Resort Inc./
Matias Aznar
Tourism Monte Alegre, San
Francisco, Camotes
1,000+ 25 Nov. 1993
Club Barili (Jesus Garcia
Sr., Pedro Lozada,
Porferia Ricablanca)
Tourism, golf course Bagakay & Nasipit,
Barili
167 23 Jan. 1994
San Lorenzo Dev’t. Corp. Brgy. Bagalnga &
Sandayong at
Compostela and Danao
boundary
260 1996
Province Landowner/
Developer/
Project
Purpose/Converted
Into What?
Location Area
(ha)
Date Reported/
Documented
Aznar Bros Inc./ Sta
Lucia Realty
Developers Corp.
First Class Housing Subdivision and
International Golf Course
Pardo, Cebu City 120 1991
PLDT Transmitter San Francisco, Camotes
Is.
n.a 6 Dec. 1993
EMRO Int’l Inc./
MRC Allied Corp.
Export Processing Zone Cantao-an, Naga &
Guindarohan, Minglanilla
2,000 1993
Franco Golf Course
Tourism, commercial, recreational Dayhagon, Medellin 1,000 14 Jul. 1994
Ayala Land Inc./
MAC Dev’t. Corp.
Golf course and subdivision Babag, Pung-ol Sibugay,
Malubog, & Sirao, Cebu
City
224 30 Aug. 1994
New Medillen
Development Proj.
Tourism Sitio Landing, Brgy.
Poblacion
25 1996
Negros Or. Sen. John Osmeña Orchard &
Industrial Estate
Pamplona 200+ 1993
Bayawan Mini Cement Plant &
Lime Manufacturing Inc.
(Herminio Teves)
Malabugas, Bayawan 60 1994
Rep. Jerome Paras/ Trinidad
Estate (crop conversion)
Trinidad, Guihulngan 1,000 Dec. 1995
Bohol
Panglao Integrated Tourism
Estate
Dauis & Panglao, Panglao Is.
272
1991
PALM Inc. Carmen, Bohol 6000 2001
Province Landowner/
Developer/
Project
Location Area
(ha)
Date Reported/
Documented
Sources and References: 1. PNFSP research
2. PNFSP Network members from CARAGA
3. Center for Environmental Concerns - www.cecphils.org
4. Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas
5. SENTRA - Atty. Jobert Pahilga, Executive Trustee
6. FLC – Caraga; CARAGA Watch
7. Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Agricultural Statistics – www.gov.ph
8. Central Visayas Farmers Development Center Inc. – FARDEC research and Plowshare Publications
9. Eastern Visayas Rural Assistance Program (EVRAP)
10. The Frenzy for Raw Materials – Effects of Mining in the Philippines by Lilli Breininger and Michael Reckordt
11. Typhoon Haiyan is Threatening Sugar Cane in Philippines by Gwynn Guilford - Photo by Sugar Regulatory Administration - http://qz.com/145161
12. National Statistics Office
13. National Statistics and Coordination Board
14. Department of Agrarian Reform
15. Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Agricultural Statistics
16. Social Weather Station survey from April 2013 to June 213 – www.rappler.com