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Published: April 11th 2011
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history in the making
This was the first time a picket was held in Taytay, Palawan. This is not a travel blog. At the risk of sounding melodramatic, this is the story of a class struggle: of ordinary people versus those in power; of the poor versus the moneyed; of the uninformed who chose to become enlightened versus those who are keeping them as such.
This is the story of poor farmers and their fight to keep their lands from those who are grabbing it from them.
And of the first man who dared to speak and stand up. "Are you the ones from Manila?" A small man shyly approached as I got off the cramped bus.
"Yes, for the fact-finding and medical mission," politely shaking my head and declining his offer to carry my backpack. The other locals who were with him in welcoming our group, carried the rest of the bags and boxes of medicines to the small patch of green at the crossing.
A number of people have already gathered -- men, women, elderlies, and children. Placards calling for true land reform adorned the area. Shouts of protest began as we approached the crowd, breaking the afternoon's tranquility.
Suddenly,
he took the speaker phone. From that small frame came powerful
oblivious to the surrounding fuss
what will happen to her when their land is taken away from them? words exposing the grim situation faced by many farmers in Taytay from a looming land conversion -- urging them to oppose the attempt to take their lands away from them.
"That's my son," a frail old woman beamed at me, proudly pointing at
Kuya Norly as he spoke. I learned that he had already come a long way since about eight months ago -- when he first requested assistance from the regional organization of peasant leaders and advocates that is presently guiding them in this fact-finding mission. Their land ownership and livelihood are being threatened by a private developer claiming their properties for ecotourism plans, conversion of farmlands into
malunggay plantations and of mangrove areas into fish ponds, among others.
From how I understood it, this very situation stemmed not only from political leadership pushing self-interest, but also from failure of the lead national agency to provide these farmers with clear information on how to secure the lands that have been awarded them under the agrarian reform program of the government.
Knowing their right to their lands,
Kuya Norly dared to go against the big tides. He battled belittlement from being a mere poorly educated farmer to
the brave one
Kuya Norly urging residents to take a stand. "Kuya" is a term used to call an older male person as a sign of respect -- similar to "big brother." besmirching campaigns so people would think he is crazy. With sheer determination and courage, he traveled to Manila and got lawmakers to look at their situation. In him, the rest of the affected peasants found a leader full of conviction and who would carry on despite all odds.
Although he still needs to practice asserting himself well and being in command, he has already succeeded planting the seeds of unity. The protest made and actions taken by Taytay peasants led by
Kuya Norly is the first in the history of this town -- its rugged beauty bearing witness to history waiting to happen.
Their journey has just started. It is going to be a long and arduous one. Fortunately, they are beginning to break out from their timidity-and-inaction-despite-dissent. I am crossing my fingers that, with unity, good leadership, determination, and persistence, they would eventually be able to win their cause.
With audacity one can undertake anything. - Napoleon Bonaparte
Bayanihan at its best
Being a mountaineer and budget backpacker, I am used to roughing it up, getting dirty, and surviving in very poor conditions. However, I still found myself, albeit for a moment, comparing the situation of this volunteer mission to the
last that I have been to, where we admittedly experienced way more comfort.
A huge makeshift tent with wide sheets of plywood elevated from the ground served as our beds and tables for three days, with similar makeshift toilet and shower. Our water supply primarily came from the deep well that they had dug for two weeks.
"He learned how to cook for his siblings since the 30th," shared
Ate Nene as we walked towards the plaza. She and her husband are among the residents who helped build the makeshift structures we called home in Taytay. They also assisted
Kuya Norly and his family in everything needed to be done during the mission. They had to leave their 13 year-old son in-charge of cooking for and feeding his four younger siblings the last six days that they spent helping around.
Her husband is also a farmer. Although they own a small parcel of land, her husband still needs to till or clean other people's lands to make ends meet, provide for their family, and support the studies of their children. During school days, three of their children have to walk for 2-3 hours to go to school
tricycles
mode of transportation to go around the town because of lack of money to pay for tricycle.
"Actually, instead of them feeding us, we contribute rice and other food to help Norly and Gay feed all volunteers." What I have is nothing but admiration for their devotion.
The other volunteers there also have similar stories: selflessly giving up their time and limited resources to help and show support for their grand endeavor. In the almost two-hour walk with
Ate Nene, I felt humbled and honored by their absolute unity to provide us the best accommodation and most satisfying meal that we could ask for.
In the Philippines, a community's collective effort to attain a specific goal is referred to as
bayanihan. The involved unity and cooperation make it leap beyond regular team work. This community spirit is very much alive in Taytay. It largely contributed to the success of this initial step towards their objective, setting aside the external assistance from community organizers.
I hail from a family of peasants -- my grandparents from both sides of the family broke their backs tilling their own lands to support their respective families and give them better lives. Yet, it is only now that
big sis
Ate Nene walked with me around the town as she talked about their life and struggles. "Ate" is a term used to call an older female person as a sign of respect -- just like "big sister." I am beginning to gain insights on the plight of farmers in the Philippines and how a lot of them have been failed by the compromised implementation of genuine agrarian reform.
It seemed like volunteering for the mission was more for me than for them. Although my main task was to attend to medical consults, I got to participate in investigating the true conditions and sentiments of the affected residents. And if there is one thing that I happily brought back with me, it is no other than better appreciation of the situation of the farmers in our country.
Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!
Will you join in our crusade?
Who will be strong and stand with me?
Beyond the barricade
Is there a world you long to see?
Then join in the fight
That will give you the right to be free!
~Les Miserables
About Taytay:
* Taytay is the old capital of Palawan province during the Spanish period. It is considered a first class municipality. It is about 4-5 hours from Puerto Princesa City (217 km away) by local bus.
* Most of the residents in the area are farmers, fisherfolk, and woodcutters who have settled in the town from various provinces in Philippines.
* The name of the municipality was derived from the word
"talaytayan," native term for bridge made from bamboo or wood.
* Relatively undisturbed compared
finally showing their stand
historic picket of farmers in Taytay to other areas in Palawan, it is endowed with rolling hills, thick forest covers, white sand beaches, a lake, rivers, waterfalls, mangroves, diverse marine life and corals, and numerous islands and islets. It serves as gateway to the more famous El Nido municipality, which is about 1.5 hours away.
* Fuerza de Santa Isabel is the fort near the sea that was built during Spanish times in the 17th century, beginning 1667 (another source: 1626). A ruined chapel and a number of canons can be found inside the fort.
* Electricity runs only from 5:00pm-5:00am
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liliram
liliram
God bless you!
Through the years, their plight and their battlecry remain the same. It is easy to grow indifferent. So tempting to remain uncommitted. Such helplessness. It requires a very committed leadership and genuine concern to make life fair and instill justice for these folks. Hana, God bless you and your medical mission. Somehow, we all try to make our contributions felt. They may not be enough, but we keep trying.