Arnulfo Perez, a member of the Valencia Agrarian Small Farmers
Association (VASFA), was overjoyed with the turn of events when they
started harvesting rice last month, more than three months after their
installation. Perez, 61, said he could now help send their
grandchildren to school which he was not able to do to his children.
According to him, his earnings will surely increase now that the land
awarded to them under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP)
on May 25, 2000 is already in their possession.
For 16
years they were deprived entry into the 19 hectares Gerardo Tan
property in Barangay Valencia by the previous owner. There were
several attempts by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to install
them but all failed to avoid bloodshed in the area.
On June 21 this year, with
the combined efforts of DAR, KAISAHAN, a non-government organization
assisting VASFA, the Philippine National Police and Commission on
Human Rights successfully installed the 16 ARBs into their awarded
lots.
Perez, a recipient of 1.5
hectares, shared how they survived their daily subsistence during the
16 years that they were deprived entry into their awarded lots.
According to him, they were lucky if they get hired as farmworkers on
a daily basis earning P200 a day.
During the ARB’s celebration
of their first harvest, Leyte Provincial Agrarian Reform Program
Officer (PARPO) Renato Badilla surprised the former with a hand
tractor. The farm implement completed the farmers’ happiness, as
according to VASFA President Gerry Sabal, they really need it in their
farm operation.
