Farmers’ groups camp outside DENR in protest vs land issues, displacement
MANILA – Around 500 farmers and members of various peasant organizations have set up camp outside the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Quezon City since Thursday to raise concerns over land issues and the alleged displacement of farmers and indigenous communities in several parts of the country.
Ariel Casilao, chairperson of the Union ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura, said around 300 farmers from Nueva Ecija, Bicol, Laguna, Palawan, and Negros were among those participating in the protest camp.
“Nagsimula po tayong mag-kampo dito simula kahapon, dahil po may mga serye ng dialogue sa iba’t ibang ahensya ng gobyerno, DENR, DAR, PCA, dahil marami pong issue sa usapin po ng lupa,” Casilao said.
He said the groups sought dialogues with the DENR, Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), and Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) over concerns involving land use, environmental permits, and projects that they claimed were displacing farmers and indigenous communities.
According to Casilao, some of the projects include renewable energy developments, such as solar farms in Nueva Ecija and floating solar projects in Laguna, as well as mining projects and other developments that allegedly contribute to land grabbing.
He also cited the Pax Silica project in Capas, Tarlac, and land-related disputes in Tarlac, Batangas, and other parts of the country.
Casilao said the groups initially planned to maintain their protest camp until October 21, with DENR Acting Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna reportedly allowing them to stay. However, he claimed police intended to forcibly disperse them at 8 p.m. because they lacked a permit.
“Originally ang kampuhan natin ay hanggang 21, pumayag na si Secretary Cuna pero iba ang order ng mga pulis, kami daw po ay forcibly ididisperse ng alas-otso,” he said.
He maintained that the protest would not disrupt government operations, particularly over the weekend, and defended the legitimacy of their demands.
“Wala naman kaming madidisrupt na government operations dahil sabado at linggo, kaya lang matigas ang ulo ng mga kapulisan, dahil daw wala kaming permit, sabi namin eh lehitimo ang panawagan ng mga magsasaka,” Casilao said.
The groups said they agreed to voluntarily dismantle their camp and return the following Monday, when additional dialogues with government agencies were scheduled.
“We will voluntarily dismantle, we will withdraw but we will comeback ng Monday,” Casilao said.
He stressed that their main demand was to protect farmers’ access to land and prevent agricultural communities from being displaced in favor of private business interests.
“Simple lang naman, ang lupa ay para sa mga magsasaka, para sa mga tagapaglikha ng mga pagkain, hindi dapat para sa mga iilang dayuhan at lokal na negosyo,” he said.
The group peacefully ended its program outside the DENR at around 8:00 p.m. on October 16.
The police officers deployed in the area confirmed that they had reached an agreement with the groups to peacefully disperse at the agreed-upon time.
They also said they were on-site to manage traffic and assist the protesters.