Bishop calls for solidarity with farmers on Farmer's Day

Manila (AsiaNews) - Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez of Marbel, Chair of the National Secretariat for Social Action (NASSA) of the Bishops' Conference, led the country in celebrating Farmers Day Sunday, May 16, acknowledging Filipino farmers' contributions to society and remonstrating the government's insensitivity in enacting laws and other measures to the plight of Filipino farmers who are further being marginalized because of globalization."Because of liberalization policies, cheap foreign farm products such as fruits and vegetables flood the local market. Unlike their foreign counterparts who enjoy state subsidies, Filipino farmers are left unaided by government," Bishop Gutierrez emphasized."Many of the problems confronting our farmers are rooted in the country's blind ambition to clash with giants in the field of globalization."Presently, the controversial genetically modified corn, or Bt (Bacillus thuriengiensis) corn, is being planted in several parts of the country, despite protests from farmers and church leaders including Bishop Gutierrez. A bill is presently in Congress which would press farmers to submit their farmlands as collateral for money. Although there is an agrarian reform bill, its implementation is slow, due to resistance of large landowners and anaemic' budget allocating funds for the government to purchase lands for farmers.The government will liberalize the rice sector from 2005, as agreed upon with the World Trade Organization. "Again, our rice farmers will be at the losing end. These inequitable arrangements will cause our farmers to experience devastating losses," Bishop Gutierrez said, however welcoming the recovery of 27 percent of the coco levy funds. "This victory should inspire the government to relentlessly pursue the reclamation of the remaining 20 percent of the coco levy funds that are still in crony hands," he said. "Completely recovered, it should be used in reviving the coconut industry."The coco levy funds program was implement during Martial Law in the 70s, when coconut farmers were required by government to pay a certain tax on their produce, for the purpose of improving the coconut industry. However, the funds went into the pockets of President Ferdinand Marcos' cronies, particularly "Danding" Cojuangco, who invested it privately in several corporations. Deliberation of who owns the funds is still on going.Farmers' Day, initiated by NASSA in 2001, "demonstrates our gratitude to and solidarity with the Filipino farmers. It also demonstrates our denunciation of policies and actions that further impoverish them," said Bishops Gutierrez. (SE)