Rural Empowerment Through Agrarian And Asset Development (read Program) Terminal Report, By Project Development Institute

RURAL EMPOWERMENT THROUGH AGRARIAN/ASSET DEVELOPMENT (THE READ PROGRAM)

TERMINAL REPORT

By

Project Development Institute 35 Maningning Street, Teacher’s Village, Diliman Quezon City, Philippines December 2004

RURAL EMPOWERMENT THROUGH AGRARIAN DEVELOPMENT: Land and Tenancy Reforms in Agrarian Areas (The READ Program 2001-2004) Terminal Report July-October 2004

I. Development Context, Problem Analysis and Development Goals: It is in the agricultural sector that the battle for long-term Economic Development will be won or lost Gunnar Myrdal Nobel Laureate in Economics

The Philippines remains an agrarian society. About 60% of Filipinos reside in the rural areas and 50% of the labor force is involved in agriculture. Of the 12 million Filipinos engaged in agriculture not more than two million own the land they till. Agriculture accounts for 27% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Yet, in 2000, two thirds of impoverished Filipinos are rural poor. The agrarian problem is closely related to the underdevelopment of the Philippines fundamentally because of the country’s agricultural character. The rural poor depend on agriculture for their subsistence. However, many farmers in the Philippines have been denied the right to own land and the right to decide on how to use the land. While the Filipino peasants decry the massive inequality of landholding between rich and poor throughout the Philippines, the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), the government’s response to this inequity, has been languishing on the political agenda of the government without any demonstrable political will to challenge the existing feudal power structure within the country. Worse, the country’s economic crisis is enormous – national bankruptcy, mass unemployment and poverty and the rising cost of living. The fiscal and financial crisis is so intense that good management is no longer simply a challenge but a demand to the administration. Aside from this, gender discrimination intensifies inequality at the national level, particularly with women’s rights to land. The predicament and struggle of peasant

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women stem from institutional discrimination against the rights of women despite their important role in production and agriculture. Meanwhile, those who were able to acquire lands but do not have an organization to support them, lose their lands due to increasing rural indebtedness. Illness and hunger of the rural poor are the main motivations to sell the land, while wealthy landowners buy the lands at very low prices. The indebtedness of the poor farmers is increasing their hunger and diminishing their means to repay loans. Philippine poverty is caused by historically skewed land tenure patterns, government policies that are extremely socially costly such as burdensome debt-repayment, militarization, and ecological and demographic crises. Rapid population growth has resulted in increasing population density, putting severe pressure on resources. Thus, there is a need for non-governmental organizations with a mission to serve the rural poor and committed to alleviate the living conditions of the peasantry to help bring them on the road to food security and self-sufficiency. With PDI’s commitment to service, its participatory approach to community development and its strength in dealing with the government, it has earned the respect of the agrarian reform community. The strength of PDI as an NGO lies in its participatory approach not only toward development programming but also in transforming these development initiatives at the ground level into policy for advocacy at the national level and in its negotiating strategy to prompt the government to provide land and resolve issues in favor of the farmers. The PDI’s “Rural Empowerment through Agrarian Development (READ)” Program has been implemented in this backdrop of endemic poverty in the Philippines. The READ Program is a response to the growing discontent among farmers in Central Luzon and fisherfolks in Northern Palawan. The program addresses the basic issues and concerns that will lead to the empowerment of the basic sectors in the rural areas. Sustainable human development for the poor peasants mean sustainable livelihood, including food security, economic, social and political empowerment and a sustainable natural environment. Land reform, including legally secure access to land, is one of the most important preconditions for sustainable rural development. The farmers and indigenous people can only achieve sustainability if they own the land, have control over it as a factor of production, and have the right to decide on the use of the land. To correct the skewed distribution of land and resources, land must be redistributed, and this must be accompanied by institutional capability building, plus the provision

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of economic support services. The direct participation of the peasants and indigenous people in all the phases of development must be ensured. In other words, development work should integrate negotiations with the DAR and the government for asset redistribution with the peasants and the indigenous people in the forefront, accompanied by support service delivery and social infrastructure building. One without the other will not spell sustainable rural development in the countryside because genuine agrarian reform is equal to land transfer, plus economic support services and strengthened social infrastructure. Rural Empowerment through Agrarian Development aims to achieve sustainability of the peasants and the Aeta Indigenous people in the target areas of Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija and Palawan by transforming these areas for the benefit of these marginalized sectors to achieve food security and self sufficiency through local resource control. To this end, the READ Program, three years into its implementation and balanced by PDI’s participatory approach to community development and expanded activities, has been continuously working to alleviate poverty in four fronts where reform can have the greatest impact: on social equity, by providing the poorest of the poor with access to basic services for survival; on economic prosperity, by ensuring that the basic sectors have access to productive assets that allow them to contribute to national growth through an asset reform program or the redistribution of physical and resource assets, particularly land and credit; on ecological security, by incorporating the parameters of sustainable development in the management and utilization of natural resources; on responsible and responsive governance, by democratizing structures and processes to allow the meaningful participation of key stakeholders in policy and decision making.

II. Financial Review: Based on the Financial Statement for the period ending October 31, 2004 and Auditor’s Report, the total grant received by PDI from EED/EZE amounted to P4,106,427.41. PDI’s interest income reached P4,837.12 while its gain in foreign exchange amounted to P15,095.23. Its own means reached P1,527,497.64. Thus total revenue is P5,653,857.40.

III. Specific Objectives/Actual Accomplishment: Based on the total expenditure of P8,624,115.22, for the period under review, the following have been accomplished:

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A. Institutional Development Building on Social Capital Education helps families avoid poverty traps… It serves as insurance to sustainable human development. 1. Building People’s Organizations The Nagkakaisang Magsasaka ng Gitnang Luzon (United Peasants of Central Luzon) or NMGL, a regional federation of peasants’ organizations all over Central Luzon, established three years ago through PDI’s organizing, training and education, is now a solid organization composed of 51 people’s organizations with 2,116 core members and has command over 12,896 peasants. It directly influences half a million peasants all over Central Luzon, and indirectly benefits more than a million peasants. The lists of NMGL PO membership is found in Annex I. Rural peasants now exhibit empowerment and good governance in their social responsibilities through collective decision making. Strategic planning and assessment processes are already being led and conducted by peasant leaders. Local negotiations on land issues with the Department of Agrarian Reform, the Local Government Units and line agencies are also led by them and supported by PDI. This demonstrates a clear measure of their capacity and intrinsic individual and organizational strength. Peasants can now articulate and discuss issues and problems with authorities and government personnel. More importantly, they know and assert their rights as peasants. A provincial peasant women’s federation (PPWF) has also been established in each of the six provinces in Central Luzon – Zambales, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Bataan, Pampanga and Tarlac. The PPWFs formed a regional women’s federation known as Pagkakaisa ng Samahang Kababaihan Se Gitnang Luzon (PASAMAKA-GL). The PASAMAKA-GL is initially composed of 24 women’s organizations comprising 1,025 core members and has direct command over 6,150 peasant women. It actively participates in the campaign for land rights and negotiations with the government on agrarian reform issues. The PASAMAKA-GL is not only at the forefront of enterprise development building in their respective areas but also active in local governance. The lists of PPWF members are found in Annex I. Peasant women are now relatively less burdened with laborious tasks and responsibilities in their households and farms because they better understand their human rights and autonomy within families and communities. They have gained more control over their own lives in matters relating to production and reproduction. The indigenous peoples’ formation of Aetas (the aborigines of Zambales), the Dumagats of Bulacan and Aurora, the Igorots of Nueva Ecija and the Tagbanuas of Palawan have been newly federated and headed by Aeta leader Carlito Dumulot. The newly formed IP federation is called Pagkakaisa Ng Samahang Katutubo Ng Igorots, Dumagats, Tagbanuas at Aetas sa Gitnang Luzon (PASAKA-IGTAG). It has

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1,308 members and influences about 7,848 IPs. The PASAKA-IGTAG aims to achieve self-reliance through their land rights claim in their ancestral domain and thereby achieve food security at the community level. Negotiations with the government on land survey are now on going.

2. Trainings PDI has conducted several activities aimed at institutional development building for social capital formation of the people’s organizations all over Central Luzon. These activities range from training to consultation. The NMGL, the IP federation and the women’s federation also hold regular monthly meetings for the federations. The POs are now having independent initiatives in policy advocacy, campaigns and government negotiations at the local levels. The POs are challenged to keep this momentum and further engage in social capital formation. Trainings that have been conducted under the READ Program were the following: 1.) Self- Evaluation and Spiral Dynamics, August 9-13, 2004, Brentwood Hotel, Baguio City with 30 PO leaders; 2.) Team Learning and Systems Thinking, September 20-24, 2004, Brentwood Hotel, Baguio City, with 25 participants; 3.) Basic Course in Community Organizing, September 6-7, 2004, Brentwood Hotel, Baguio City, with 27 participants and 4.) Staff Development Training: (a) Self-Actualization, September 23, 2004, Brentwood, Baguio City; (b) Team Building: Visioning, July 2004, Ilocos Norte.

3. Education: Formal and Non-Formal Education is a basic need. However, in a country like the Philippines, food is always a top priority and the other basic needs are of lower importance. The effect of government neglect has been extreme cases of deprivations in the country. The government claims that it is providing free education to Filipinos up to high school and subsidy for college. While this is true, why there are so many dropouts remain a question. Education entails not only tuition fees. It requires far greater resources for a child to finish high school, including books and school supplies, transportation fare, food to subsist, proper clothing and allowances to purchase other requirements. However, these needs cannot be provided by the family since most of the peasants and indigenous families live almost in a hand-to-mouth existence. PDI has extended support in putting poor but deserving students through college. The right to higher education is critical in the overall context of development as it is one of the important processes in ensuring sustainable peasant and IP communities. Having their children complete a college education opens new avenues and hope for poor families. New ideas and skills can be injected by the youth to effect development in the countryside. The youth of today holds the future of the country. In

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this regard, PDI initiated a scholarship program and today has a total of 72 college scholars. Fifty college scholars are financed by ADFE, 12 by SSF and 10 by ESP.

Non-Formal Education In the past, we would hide in our houses. Whenever we see strangers, we were too scared to face other people. But now we do not just talk with others, I am addressing you from this stage… NFE Student in Balisungan, Coron, Palawan Non-Formal Education does not merely satisfy literacy objectives. It is a process of reckoning with day-to-day reality and empowering the deprived to deal with the social, economic and political vacuum created by growth and enforced by poverty. It involves the acquisition of knowledge even outside the school. It is aimed at attaining specific learning objectives for the indigenous people, for out of school youths and adult illiterates in the service areas of PDI. The NFE Program of PDI is being conducted in partnerships with the Department of Education and the local governments of Coron in Palawan, the LGUs in Morong Bataan and Botolan, Zambales. NFE includes a functional literacy program for non-literate and semi-literate adults that integrates basic literacy with livelihood skills training. NFE or alternative basic education allows children and adults access to learning outside the government sector. Its primary objective is to empower the indigenous people by giving them the opportunity to analyze their environment, to engage in critical analysis, deep reflection and local vision building of their own families and learning processes through the use of innovative learning methodologies. NFE facilitates people’s participation in social transformation by providing people with the necessary values, attitudes, skills and abilities to face the outside challenges. The Non-Formal Education Program of PDI started in 2004. It is being implemented in the Aeta areas of Zambales and Bataan and the Tagbanua areas of Palawan. There are currently 11 NFE program sections running in these areas with three sections in Zambales, one in Bataan, and seven in Palawan. PDI hired 10 parateachers who speak the local dialects of the IPs to teach in the respective IP communities. There are now 286 NFE graduates. The PDI NFE Areas and Literacy levels are found in Annex II.

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B. The Right to Land: the Process of Land transfer CARP’s biggest contribution to the Philippine economy so far is the institution of new property rights…. PDI supports the implementation of genuine agrarian reform in Central Luzon provinces. For the past three years of READ implementation, PDI, together with the people’s organizations, has conducted a series of dialogues and negotiations to push the government to release highly contentious private agricultural lands to the Central Luzon (CL) peasants. This year the PDI-NMGL partnership in negotiating for highly contentious landholdings managed to facilitate the transfer of 616.89 hectares of prime agricultural land to landless farmers, lowland farmers, upland farmers, women farmers and indigenous peoples. This is a remarkable accomplishment since these lands are politically contentious and the transfer cost of these lands was financially high for the government, especially at a time when the government admits its fiscal management failure. Land Tenure Improvement First Semester January-June 2004 Province

Municipality

Bataan Pampanga Zambales

Morong Magalang Masinloc Masinloc Masinloc

Landholding/ Property Kanawan Feliciano Tinio Verginia Jalipa Perpetou Yap Pedro Estrella Subtotal

No. of Hectares 165 28.8 11 23.5 74.65 302.95

Land Tenure Improvement Second Semester July-December 2004 Province

Municipality

Bataan Nueva Ecija

Morong Laur Laur

Pampanga Tarlac Zambales

Angeles City Margot Gerona Candelaria

First Semester January-June 2004 Second Semester July-December 2004

Landholding/ Property Frederic de Dios Fort Masaysay Lot 23 Fort Magsaysay Lot 22 Raul Claveria Asteria Unson Cojuangco Francisco Yap

No. of Hectares 29.0524

Subtotal

326.24

302.96 hectares 326.24 hectares

Grand total= 629.20 hectares

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84.4807 44 34.9644 33.67 58 42.0667

From the total 629.20 hectares, 302.96 hectares have been acquired and distributed during the first semester of 2004 to 300 farmer beneficiaries and 326.24 hectares have been acquired and distributed in the second semester to 188 farmer beneficiaries from the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Bulacan and Zambales.

PDI Land Tenure Improvement Program As of December 2004

81% 19%

3,222.193 has. "PDI-Facilitated" Land Acquisition and Distribution 13,370 has. Remaining CARPable areas in Region 3

As of October 2004, under the READ Program, PDI facilitated from DAR, the release of 3,222.19 hectares of prime agricultural land to the peasants and indigenous people of Central Luzon. This is a remarkable achievement because this is actually 19% of the total CARP scope in Central Luzon of the Department of Agrarian Reform.

C. The Right to Food: Economic Support The Economic Support System Farmers are the backbone of a nation free from hunger After the land has been acquired, economic support services are critical for the peasants to be sustainable under an increasingly unfavorable production environment due to erratic rainfall caused by global warming, the decline of soil fertility due to increased application of agrochemical inputs, the high cost of production inputs, inadequate technical and managerial capacity of the farmers and the insufficient support of the government to post harvest facilities, credit, marketing and extension. On top of these, the peasants have to compete with well-organized, well-financed and technologically advanced corporate and large-scale farms of developed economies

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courtesy of WTO. All of these have contributed to the decline of farm productivity that has resulted in the further impoverishment of the peasants. They are comparatively in the same state as when they were tenants and farm workers. Those who are helpless in the face of poverty resorted to illegal selling of land rights and mortgaging. The situation leads to a new cycle of land concentration among the financial elites. PDI, together with the NMGL and PASAMAKA-GL, embarked on supporting livelihood opportunities for the different people’s organizations and members of the peasants’ and women’s federation. In this context, activities that support skills upgrading and the development of income-generating activities for the rural poor that contribute directly to improving access to food are being conducted such as small-scale livelihood projects that can be done at home or allow for processing at the household level. Activities that contribute to food security generally have the objective of improving agricultural capacity to produce. Projects that support crop, livestock and forestry, increase the income of the poor – a larger part of which is in turn invested in improving the resource base and thus strengthening longer-term sustainability. From July to December, 2004, various small projects have been initiated in the target areas of Central Luzon and Northern Palawan, specifically in the provinces of Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Palawan, Zambales, and Bataan. The Small Projects grants are as follows: Economic Enterprise Development Under the SPF In Central Luzon and Northern Palawan For the Period July-December, 2004 Date

Area

Small Project

July 3 64,000.00 5 20,000.00

Nueva Ecija

Goat Dispersal

TUFA, Freddie Segundo

Palawan

Seaweed Prod.

Burabod, BFARMC,

6 20,000.00

Palawan

Hog Dispersal

7

Palawan

Seaweeds Prod.

8

Palawan

Hog Dispersal

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PO and Signatory

Approved Amount (Php)

Ruben Duldig Burabod Women’s Asso. Alma Inoc Galoc BFARMC Francisco Glimao Galoc Fisheries Asso

20,000 17,500.

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Palawan

10 10 10 10 14 14 14 14 15

Zambales Zambales Zambales Zambales Zambales Zambales Zambales Zambales Zambales

16 16

Zambales Nueva Ecija

Rafael Selestial Hog Dispersal Luac Women Asso. 25,000 Monila Hog Dispersal SKP, Violeta Vidal 2,500 Hog Dispersal SKT, Josephine Elamparo 2,500 Hog dispesal SKT, Pat Amir 2,500 Hog Dispersal SKT, Salvacion Canno 2,500 Hog dispersal SKKP, Elsa Novo 2,500 Hog dispersal; NAKAP, excelencio Canno 2,500 Hog Dispersal SKBA, Josephine Elan 2,500 Hog Dispersal LAKAS, Nenita Dumulot 2,500 Pasambot Nursery PASAMBOT, 18,000 Carlito Dumulot Manggahan Project PASAMBOT 14,400 Carabao Loan Freddie Segundo 25,000

Aug 4 12 16

Nueva Ecija Zambales Palawan

Mango Seedlings Local Trading Rice Trading

Sept 6

Palawan

Seaweeds Prod

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Palawan

Seaweeds Prod

15 20 23

Zambales Zambales Bataan

Wetmarket Handicraft Honey Prod @ processing

Oct 1 Bulacan 144,000. 2 70,000 4 14 20

Pina Production

TUFA, Freddie S. 100,000 NAKAP, Mary Balinay 10,000 Canimango Women’s Asso 15,000 Balisungan Seaweeds Asso, Lucas Paguia Cabugao Seaweeds Asso Licas Paguia SKT, Pat Amir SKAB< rolly dela Cruz SAKANEKAN, Belen Restum

24,000 28,000 25,000 15,000 18,500

Samahan Ng Magsasaka

Zambales

Ng Kaybanban, Eddie Ibabao Various Forest Prod. LAKAS, Carlito Dumulot

Nueva Ecija Zambales Zambales

Pina Production Local Trading Card Making

TUFA, Pablo Bocabe 150,000 SKAB, Rolly dela Cruz 50,000 LAKAS, Carlito Dumulot 10,000

TOTAL……………………………………………………………………Php 903,400 =========

As of October 31, 2004, there has been a total repayment of P193,972.19 within the July to December 2004 period, with P39,517.19 coming from the province of Nueva Ecija. The Summary Report for Small Projects, including repayment, is contained in Annex III

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D. Participatory Research, Policy Advocacy and Linkage Work The participatory research and policy advocacy work of PDI has gained ground. The integration of development work with a systematic participatory research and policy advocacy has resulted in policy change in handling agrarian reform. This has been done together with other agrarian reform stakeholders from people’s organizations and other non-governmental organizations. Many cases have been brought to the open as a result of joint efforts to push agrarian reform and rural development. 1. Policy Advocacy Work: a.) Opposition to Farmland as Collateral Bill. The Arroyo Administration continued to push for the passing of the Farmland as Collateral Law since the start of the 12th Congress. Presently, the 13th Congress is pressured to enact such a law, which has been given priority by the administration. The government says the law will address the lack of credit and capital of the peasants and rural communities. Several bills are awaiting deliberation in Congress, namely: House Bills 247, 279, 2831, 417 and the DAR bill. The last one is being endorsed by the DAR in the Senate. All these bills allow the farmland collateralization and foreclosure by banks and non-bank financial institutions. b.) Guarding the Agrarian Reform Fund (ARF). The civil society, composed of the members of the agrarian reform community and the private sector, called for a congressional inquiry to check and secure the newly acquired Marcos wealth which is allocated for the agrarian reform program. The victims of human rights violations during the Marcos dictatorship and the relatives and supporters of victims of involuntary disappearances during the Marcos, Aquino, Ramos and Estrada administrations are also closely watching over the funds for the benefit of their families. c.) Agrarian Reform, Policies, and Institutional Change. PDI, together with NMGL, are at the forefront of structural and institutional changes in the DAR. - In a dialogue with the previous DAR Secretary Rene Villa, LAKAS (PO of Zambales) and PDI petitioned for the investigation of the DAR Adjudication judge for his unreasonable decision favoring the increase of land valuation in Pasambot from P34,700 per hectare to P400,000.00. This is 1000% more than the original valuation. The DAR secretary himself ordered an immediate investigation and upon confirmation of the unjust and irrational decision, directed the reversal of the decision and removed the judge in Zambales. - The voice of PDI and NMGL was heard in reforming and streamlining the DAR bureaucracy, e.g. making NCIP an attached agency rather than be directly under the DAR.

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d.) Local Governance. Peasants and women farmers are now participating in local governance activities. In fact, two have been elected to the Local Government Councils in their areas and others are active in the local health units and livelihood committees. The Aetas and the Igorots now attend the session at the local municipal and provincial legislative councils to voice out their concerns and problems. They also participate in the development planning sessions of the local councils, and recommending policies and programs for their communities. e.) Food Security. PDI and NMGL have called for changes in the agricultural policies that are detrimental to the interest of peasants in negotiations with the Department of Agriculture. PDI-NMGL celebrated World Food Day by rallying at the Department of Agriculture against its unnecessary importation of primary agricultural products like rice, which makes the Philippines a net food importer even if our agricultural sector has the capacity to provide for our food needs if only given the required government support. PDI work has gained ground at all levels and has become an example of pushing policy advocacy based on ground level program and research. The grassroots program initiated by PDI has become living examples on how policies are reformed based on ground level cases through primary research.

2. Participatory Research PDI’s Participatory Research aims to monitor the tangible impact of its program implementation and service delivery at the ground level. Integrated with this policy study and research will be the analysis of the external environment that affect directly and indirectly the work at the grassroots. Such analysis will be the basis for future courses of action. The Occasional Papers of PDI are as follows: a.) PDI Impact Evaluation. This book is the reproduction of the evaluation by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of PDI’s READ Program. PDI is highly honored with the results of the evaluation in line with the German Government’s Program of Action 2015 addressing the “comprehensive human development and protecting the vulnerable” by focusing on agrarian reform beneficiaries and the indigenous people. The result of the evaluation has been discussed with the public, including the POs, other NGOs and the government. It is now being disseminated and circulated in the agrarian reform community. b.) Alternative Learning Systems: The Non-Formal Education. PDI and the Department of Education have produced several NFE modules on functional literacy to be used by the parateachers.

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c.) Gender and Development, July 2004. A training module produced by PDI for gender and development that deals with self actualization and conscientization. It deals with improving gender consciousness that will lead to the understanding of equal opportunities in society. Women are able to recognize their urgent needs and problems, and express their concerns. It equips women with better communication skills, paving the way for them to become active in their communities. d.) Reinventing Northern Samar,October 2004. e.) PDI Website: visit us at http//pdi-asia.org f.) Usaping Bayan or (People’s Concerns). PDI’s monthly publication for peasants is a news gazette that publishes national, local and international news that are related to the agrarian and agricultural sectors. It raises the level of political consciousness of peasants by providing an analysis of the facts and figures provided by the government and private sector.

Usaping Bayan Banner/Frontpage 2004 Monthly and Bi-monthly Issues of Usaping Bayan December Issue “Baliktanaw sa 2004” (2004 in Retrospect) October-November Issue “Edukasyon para sa mga Tagbanua” (CLOAs distributed in Laur, Nueva Ecija) August- September Issue “CLOAs ipinamahagi sa Laur, Nueva Ecija” (Education for the Tagbanuas) July Issue “Civil Society: Panatilihin si Ponce bilang Kalihim ng DAR” (Civil Society: Let Ponce stay on as DAR Secretary) June Issue “Ika-16 ng Anibersaryo ng CARP sinalubong ng protesta” (Celebration of CARP’s 16th Anniversary marked by Protests) May Issue “Pondo sa Repormang Agraryo ginagamit sa kampanya ni GMA?” (Agrarian Funds being used in GMA Campaign?) March-April Issue “Repormang Agraryo batayan ng boto ng mga magsasaka”

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(Policy on Agrarian Reform determines the peasant block vote) January Issue “Baliktanaw ng 2003” (2003 in Retrospect) February Issue “Katiwalian sa DAR Tinuligsa ng PDI at NMGL” (PDI-NMGL Condemns corruption in DAR)

PDI’s critique of the government even extends to editorial cartoons as shown here in one of the Editorials of Usaping Bayan tackling the issue of corruption in the Philippine mlitary.

IV. Planned and Achieved Intermediate Results •

On Institutional Building.

More than physical infrastructure, PDI regards institutional building as a more lasting element in any project undertaking. Through the READ Program, regional peasant and women’s federations have been established while providing social infrastructure building to the indigenous people in Central Luzon that help them to organize and collectively assess their condition. The indigenous people’s organization of Aetas, Tagbanuas, Dumagats and Igorots were formed into the PASAMAKA-IGTAD. The READ Program also stimulated the participation of women and led to the formation of provincial women’s organizations in Central Luzon. The POs have notably been functioning as civil society groups based on their LTI and enterprise activities, including involvement in socio-political issues and concerns at the regional and national levels. •

On the farmer’s right to land.

The READ program has restored basic endowments to rural households whose primary means of generating livelihood, accumulating wealth, and transferring of resources to the next generation is through land ownership. The right of the peasants and the indigenous people to the land they till has been vigorously pursued in the halls of justice. PDI has successfully assisted the various POs of Central Luzon in acquiring their land rights and in pushing the government to provide land to till. Peasant Groups all over the Philippines are now seeking the support of PDI in this regard. The government’s problem is not only how to acquire and redistribute the remaining 3 million hectares nationwide, especially the 1.3 million private agricultural lands, but also the problem of developing the 5 million hectares already distributed. •

On Economic Support: The Right to Food.

In support of the peasants’ claim to land, the READ Program provided economic support to the target areas that are demand driven and based on local priorities. This was done during the PO’s area-based strategic planning conferences. All the target areas underwent an Area-Based Strategic Planning conference spearheaded by leaders of the POs themselves using the participatory approach to programming specific economic activities as was taught to the POs by PDI. Economic support services are critical for the peasants to be sustainable under an increasingly unfavorable production environment.

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The creation and management of village-level economic project activities that help to improve access to food leads to the strengthening of food security institutions. •

On Participatory Research, Policy Advocacy and Linkage Work.

PDI has been working in Central Luzon and Northern Palawan for more than 12 years now. Gains have been achieved in empowering the people through their transformation from being victims to becoming owner-cultivators of their own land, actively participating in local governance. The expanded activities and programs helped in the formation of organizations and enterprise development of various POs and women’s groups all over the region. The PDI has also assisted the POs in land tenurial improvement in Zambales, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Bulacan, and Bataan. PDI’s commitment to service and its participatory approach to community development, and its strength in negotiations strategy in dealing with the government have earned the respect of the agrarian reform community locally, nationally and internationally. The strength of PDI as an NGO lies in its participatory approach not only toward development programming but also in transforming these development initiatives at the ground level into policy advocacy at the national level, and in its negotiating strategy to oblige the government to provide land and resolve issues for the farmers. V. Project Objective The READ Program is part of the process to achieve sustainable human development. Sustainable human development for the poor peasants means sustainable livelihood, including food security, economic, social and political empowerment and a sustainable natural environment. Land reform, including legally secure access to land, is one of the most important preconditions for sustainable rural development. READ aims to build autonomous people’s organizations that will engage the government in agrarian reform and rural development concerns. READ also aims to undertake campaigns on agrarian reform and rural development related issues – where people are at the core of reform initiatives, where there is participation and empowerment of all sectors of society in development decision-making and processes PDI does its best to promote democratic participation as well as responsible and responsive governance. PDI upholds democratization structures and processes to allow the meaningful participation of key stakeholders in policy- and decision-making. VI. Changes and Conclusions Facilitating Factors 1.

The state reformist within the DAR bureaucracy responds positively to pressure from pro-reform civil society like PDI and NMGL.

2.

PDI and NMGL were able to effectively pressure and expand collaboration with other CARP Implementing Agencies (CIAs) like the DENR, NCIP and Land Bank.

3.

PDI had provided a training and development program that motivated farmer volunteers and created a ripple effect that multiplied the number of conscientized farmers through skills training.

4.

Farmers are now able to articulate their problems and needs to the local officials and field personnel immediately and on the spot. Officials and field personnel also benefited from the timely and reliable information on problems and needs, with the net effect of improving their accountability to the farmers.

Constraining Factors 1.

Opponents of reform have not given up the fight. Landowners and land speculators put up barriers that range from exploiting the loopholes of the agrarian reform law to howling against the lack of substantial gains.

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2.

Dealing with public lands, DENR performance is hampered by bureaucratic malfunctions and budgetary constraints, technical limitations or pure complacency. This is very problematic because it is the only government agency tasked to survey, map out and approve plans for CARPable lands.

3.

Poor relations and coordination of DAR with LGUs, especially in view of the decentralization process under the Local Government Code of 1992, specifically on the local government’s authority to reclassify and convert land use. This is one of the long legal battles the farmers will encounter in the process of CARP coverage.

4.

The existence of armed political organizations that assert autonomy or independence from the state. Specifically in the province of Tarlac, where PDI had a very difficult time organizing farmers due to safety considerations.

Changes in the Program and Organization and Lessons Learned 1.

For farmers, conflicts around land rights and benefits from the produce have been resolved by the program, with the assignment to them of new rights and responsibility to make the land productive.

2.

Land redistribution can be an effective political instrument to buy peace and restore people’s confidence in government. However, its economic return may not be seen immediately.

3.

Technology transfer is effective only when the technology itself is applicable and appropriate for the capacity of the poor. The communication skills of the staff also play an important role in the process.

4.

Activities of the farmer organizations should always go along with other social, political, economic endeavors. In order to be successful in mobilizing and convincing farmers, there should be an effective and persuasive plan that can bring about benefits to farmers.

5.

Policy reforms and institutional arrangements are necessary to tap the DA’s budget for beneficiary development

For a brighter future of our children, we must remain steadfast, united and collectively determined to pursue our common vision and bring our country towards sustained growth and development. There’s still hope.

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Peasants become active participants – POs serve as new t

The POs and NMGL exercise vigilance CARP implementation

Increased participation in decision making

Institutionalized discussion and negotiation forums through partnership arrangement: PDI-DAR NMGL

PO elected in local positions represented in barangay, municipal, provincial levels – Proactive in local governance

Changed behavior of DAR in the project areas—increased transparency– openness

Changed process of AR implementation based on PDI experiences and strategies

Fast tracking and completion in LTI acquisition and distribution

POs use meta legal tactics to influence

Observed changes through increased participation in decision ki

Mobilization and redirection of services and budgets in favor of peasant beneficiaries

Narrowing the gap between peasants and DAR– building new alliances

Policy changes in some cities and municipalities in their land use plans. Increase level of public consciousness about good governance

================================================================== IMPACT OF THE READ PROGRAM

THROUGH INCREASED PARTICIPATION IN DECISION MAKING AND LOCAL GOVERNANCE OF THE ORGANIZED PEASANTS. INDIGENOUS PEOPLE AND WOMEN LEADERS ===================================================================

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