IN ITS cause to fight for landless farmers in reclaiming their land, the Ateneans for Agrarian Reform Movement (Afarm) held “Laban Lupa, Laban Buhay: A Forum on Land Reform and Land-Grabbing” at Escaler Hall on May 16.

The forum focused on the approaching deadline of the full implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms (Carper) Law, which was signed in 2009.

The Carper Law mandated the extension of the pending procurement of undistributed land among farmers for five more years, as initially stated in the provisions of the CARP Law of 1986.

The CARP, Law otherwise known as Republic Act Number 6657, ordered the redistribution of hectares of land among landless farmers and has been a heated topic of debate on land reform over the past administrations.

With the approaching June 30 deadline for the distribution of Notices of Coverage (NOCs), many farmers still remain landless. 800,000 hectares of land still need to be distributed. 206,000 hectares are yet to be issued NOCs.

The forum speakers were the following: Kilusan Para sa Repormang Agraryo at Katarungang Panlipunan Secretary-General Danny Carranza, President of Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Samahang Magsasaka Rene Cerilla, Program Officer for Focus on the Global South Mary Ann Manahan and Federation of Sicogon Farmers and Fisherfolks Association President Raul Ramos.

The said forum was part of Agrarian Reform Week, an initiative spearheaded by Afarm and students from section H of a Politics and Governance class. Its roster of activities, which lasted from May 12 to 16, featured a photo exhibit, a fundraising activity and a signature campaign that aimed to expedite the land distribution among the farmers.

Far from over

In her speech during the forum, Manahan clarified that despite the deadline, the distribution of land among farmers will not end on June 30. “Hindi po magtatapos ang [Carper] (The implementation of Carper is not going to end). It will not expire unless a law [is passed] in Congress that will junk [Carper],” she stressed in a mix of English and Filipino.

She also assured that the Carper Law will remain in effect even after its projected deadline, as it is the constitutional obligation of the state to ensure an agrarian reform program.

Section 30 of the Carper Law states: “Any case and/or proceeding involving the implementation of the provisions of Republic Act No 6637 (CARP law), as amended, which may remain pending on June 30, 2014 shall be allowed to proceed to its finality and be executed even beyond such date.”

However, Manahan acknowledges that missing the deadline is “a gray area [in the law]” because it leaves the remaining land without NOC’s.

Beaming hope

In an interview with The GUIDON, Carranza urged Ateneans to join civic groups and other organizations that are championing for the same cause.

He believes that pushing for agrarian reform will make a huge impact to the nation at large, as it will help the country remain at par with progressive countries in Asia who have succeeded in establishing their own land reform programs.

Furthermore, Carranza urged the young generations to join their cause, as the program will also benefit them; the fate of the nation rests upon their calls for action.

“Ang lakas ng kabataan ay mayaman sa ideya. Marami silang mungkahi at naniniwala kami na ang tagapakinabang ng ginagawa naming ito ay itong kabataang na hahaligi sa amin (What makes the youth strong is that they are rich with ideas. They have so many suggestions and we believe that those who will benefit from our efforts includes the youth who stand behind us in this cause),” he added.

Updated: May 19, 2014, 2:50 PM