Peasant women brave palengke challenge

Press Release
By SAGUPA-SB
March 14, 2007

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte  –  On the occasion of this year’s commemoration of the International Women’s Day, three peasant women braved the challenge of shopping all their families’ essentials for a measly sum of P100.

This, according to Diana Ragub, Campaign and Advocacy Coordinator of the peasant group, Samahan han Gudti nga Parag-uma ha Sinirangan Bisayas (SAGUPA-SB), depicts the troubles that every peasant woman go through everyday just so all their necessities will be covered by the ample income that they have. Like their husbands, Ragub said, peasant women are likewise saddled by the pressure of keeping a healthy, nourished, educated family, while receiving meager income from their day-to-day work in the farms.

“Based on the surveys conducted by government statistic offices and even by the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, majority of the families in the region which subsist mainly on agriculture has an annual income of P30,000-P39,999. Of the 64,803 families which rely on agriculture, majority or 15,299 have a meager income of P82-109 per day from which they derive their needs--- from food, clothing, water and electricity, health care and education of children,” said Ragub.

Malou Arcones, 36, a mother of six, was among the peasant women who braved the challenge. Her husband, Toto, 37, is a fisherman who accepts “sidelines” in carpentry work, farm work, taking care of fish cages, among others. He earns P100-P150 per day on the average. Malou recounts how they survive on such a meager amount – having viand only if Toto comes home with fish caught at sea, selling sampaguita necklaces in the market to augment their income for the children’s baon to school, gathering wood in the forests of Basey for firewood as they cannot afford fuel. In order to augment their income, Malou applied as sitter of a two-year old child in a nearby barangay for P50 a day.

Last March 8, she was given P100 and was ask to purchase what her family needs for one day. She bought one kilo of NFA rice for P18, fish for P20, pakbeton for P20, ¼ kilo of dried fish for P17, three pieces of egg for P16.50, vinegar for P5 and ginger for P2. She still had P1.50 left as change.

“This is not even enough considering that there are eight of us in the family. This kilo of rice is only good for one meal. In case my children would ask for baon, I would not be able to give them anything considering that only P1.50 was left,” said Arcones.