Philippines: State-sponsored Land Grab in Palawan

Coron, Philippines—The Asian Peasant Coalition (APC) is calling the Philippine government to stop state-sponsored land grabbing in Palawan covering 40,000 hectares of agricultural land. The APC joined eight other organizations in the National Fact Finding and Solidarity Mission (NFFSM) held from 14th to 19th of June 2014 organized by the Katipunan ng Samahang Magbubukid sa Timog Katagalugan or the Federation of Farmers’ Organizations in Southern Tagalog (KASAMA-TK) and Anakpawis Party list or Toiling Masses Party list-Southern Tagalog (Anakpawis-TK) in the disputed Yulo King Ranch (YKR) in Coron and Busuanga in Palawan. The KASAMA-TK is the regional chapter of the militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas or Peasant Movement of the Philippines (KMP).

The mission aims to consolidate narratives of residents from affected barangays (villages) to understand the history of the disputed land, know the plight and demands of the affected residents and formulate actions that will support and strengthen their rights to food, land and a dignified livelihood.

The YKR, also known as Busuanga Pasture Reserve (BPR), which covers 39,238.93 hectares, is believed to be the largest agrarian anomaly in the country, where 22,268 hectares are in Coron (or 32% of Coron’s total land area) and the remaining 16,970.53 hectares are in Busuanga (covering 43% of Busuanga’s total land area).

In 1975, former president Ferdinand Marcos issued Proclamation No. 1387, declaring YKR as pasture reserve. Marcos, through his cronies Luis Yulo and Peter Sabido, acquired the disputed land using public funds. Residents interviewed claimed that the “King” in YKR referred to Marcos.

Despite the heavy rains during the mission, the NFFSM team conducted interviews among the residents at eight villages namely, Decalachao, Guadalupe, San Jose, San Nicolas in Coron and Quezon, New Busuanga, Cheey and Sto. Nino in Busuanga.

Of the 40,000 has. involved, 12,817 has. is categorized as Alienable and Disposable Lands where 2,441 hectares is privatized or titled and the remaining 10,376 has. is public land. According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), 1,575 has of titled lands has been distributed under Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) through the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) and the remaining 866.5 has. had not been distributed. The 15,389.03 has. is reserved as Public Forest and the remaining 11,032.28 has. is Unclassified Public Forest.

The APC said that as early as 1930s, there were already ten to 15 farming families who were tilling in the disputed land. In fact, they interviewed one of the original residents who narrated that they were relatively self-sufficient at that time. However, the Philippine Constabulary displaced affected residents and they (farmers} were so afraid because it was Martial Law then.

The original settlers such as the Tagbanua, Calamianes and Cuyonin were all the more displaced due to the land grabbing.

But most of the residents of affected communities, especially those who have been tilling the land before YKR came, returned to the disputed land due to the lack of livelihood in the resettlement areas, where lands are hardly suitable for agriculture. They also cited that they have decided to return and till the lands again as YKR has left it idle.

The mission team concluded that this is a state-sponsored massive land grabbing case against the people of Coron and Busuanga. From Marcos’ Presidential Decree No. 27 to the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), which was first implemented under President Corazon Aquino, the affected residents in Coron and Busuanga remained landless and poor.

The mission is calling for the passage of House Bill 252 or Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill (GARB) sponsored by Anakpawis at the House of Representatives. GARB seeks to break landlord control.

Read the Fact-finding and Solidarity Mission report

Contact:

Orly Marcellana, spokesperson

Kasama-TK

Mobile no.: +63 (0)948 884–3403

Office: Blk. 3, Lot 20,

Fairplay St.,

Camella Subd.,

Bgy. Mmbog I,

Bacoor City, Cavite

Email: kasamatk@gmail.com and kasamatk@kilusangmagbubukid.org

Asian Peasant Coalition (APC) Secretariat