The members of the Asian Peasant Coalition (APC) in the Philippines are the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), PAMALAKAYA (National Federation of Small Fisherfolks of the Philippines), AMIHAN (National Federation of Peasant Women), UMA (National Union of Agricultural Workers) and National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW).
This report is a product of a consultation meeting held between the KMP, PAMALAKAYA, AMIHAN and UMA in preparation for the APC 3rd General Assembly on January 23-24, 2011. The NFSW was not able to attend the consultation. The report covers the years 2008 to 2010.
The KMP, Pamalakaya, AMIHAN and UMA, have nationwide memberships. KMP has15 regional and 65 provincial chapters. On July 24, 2010, the KMP held its 25th founding anniversary attended by more than 200 peasants and their advocates in Quezon City. The Pamalakaya accounts for 50,000 members. The AMIHAN has 30,000 peasant women. The UMA has 6,000 members. The NFSW has yet to update on its present membership.
These past three years saw the relentless struggles of the peasant, agricultural workers, peasant women and fisherfolks. The general campaign for genuine agrarian reform which saw many forms of actions like camp-out, caravan, long march, demonstrations, fact-finding mission, relief and rehabilitation focused on land issues and took on related issues like rice trade liberalization, among others.
The year 2008 and 2009 bore witness to various peasant struggles in the country, there was no clear report on land distribution, particularly through the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) on the 9th and 10th State of the Nation Address (SONA) of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. There was also the continuous persecution of peasant leaders. Numerous malicious charges were filed against them, while others became unfortunate victims of extrajudicial killings or enforced disappearances. Violations of peasant rights were also rampant.
The year 2010, proved to be insignificant for the peasants because the new administration of President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III made it clear he would not betray his landed roots. From day one in his inaugural speech Noynoy made no mention of land reform as among the platform for progress of his administration.
Yet the peasants remain militant in their struggles challenging the Aquino administration to listen to their demands, standing their ground on the lands long denied them by Aquino’s landed class even if it cost them their lives.