Friday Snapshot: for the Hacienda Luisita farmers
Looban, Pakyas, Oriental Mindoro
This shot was taken last year in my father’s birthplace, Mindoro. That cottage stands in the middle of a fishpond in the middle of rice fields in the middle of nowhere near the vast Naujan Lake, which can be seen from the three-story resthouse owned by my father’s sister (I was standing on the rooftop when I took this photo).
My ancestors, both side, were farmers and planters, so I feel for the almost 5,000 farmers of Hacienda Luisita who were denied of their right of ownership to 10,000 hectares of lands in the Cojuangco-Aquino ‘owned’ hacienda in Central Luzon, letting these oligarchs amass fortunes decade after decade at the bloody expense of the poor farmers. Upon my return to the Philippines, I was greeted with the news that the Supreme Court is ruling the distribution of Hacienda Luisita Inc. lands to their rightful owners.
It’s about time that justice be served and farmers enjoyed the fruit of their own labor and the peace of nature.
6 Comments
Leave a Reply
Who, Me?
Hello there! My name is Ai, Japanese for "love". This blog is a celebration of love for life. I couldn't stay in one place for too long, so I'm always walking, traveling or changing address. I'm an editor of a quarterly rice science magazine and a weekly publication on international commodity trade. Our company is based in Singapore but I'm usually in the Philippines. My goal right now is to make people happy, because I am--well, except when I'm being sentimental.
Let’s just hope that they’ll be able to cultivate the lands to be distributed to them, as they still need money for crops, fertilizers, and machinery. I’m praying that they will not end up selling those lands again to the Cojuangcos for money to buy food and send their children to school.
there is a big possibility for that to happen. i heard they’ll be given money too, aside from the lands. im quite positive about this somehow because there are groups who are around to support them naman all the way.
napanood nila siguro ung youtube clip hahahaha!
oh, the “propaganda” vid.
talaga ate? napunta na rin sa wakas sa magsasaka ang hacienda luisita? hirap ng walang balita e. mang mang lang
ipapamahagi na raw. yey! hey, there’s yahoo!news. hehe