Exploitation of Farmers

by Andrea Paula M. Brioso The Aryendo System When the Comprehensive Agrarian  Reform Program (CARP) was implemented, a redistribution of land took place and impoverished farmers were reawrded land of their own. Along with this, the size of land is also now limited, and in most cases people are no longer allowed to possess massive portions of land, thus the emergence of the aryendo system.   An ayrendo system is an under the table transaction between a farmer-beneficiary who owns land, and another individual who offers them money in exchange of the rights to the said land. An aryendador is the  person who offers money to desperate farmers in order to gain rights over their land. In most cases, aryendadors are able to persuade desperate farmers in giving up their land over a certain amount of time and it has resulted to loss of rights and failure of the policies that are meant to protect these farmers in the first place. The aryendo system prevails because of t...

by: Bettina Camille S. Martirez In our country today, over the course of the past few months. We have been faced and confronted with various issues that seem to plague and cause more chaos and violence than we can handle. At the same time these problems can never seem to mitigate or be resolved by the means or plan of actions that our entrusted government officials are doing. As we go on, day by day it feels as if there are more issues piling up and they never seem to disappear. Thus the situation in which our country seems to be seen in is a downward spiral that only seems to be going down, more and more each day. Issues such as corruption, poverty, the EJK’s, the P 1000 budget for the Commission of Human Rights, the war on Marawi and many more. Just go to show the insufficient, ineffective and the lack of judgement our government officials have in trying to resolve the country. It is there selfish desires that cause the state of our country to be as it is. In relation, this wo...

By: Gene Paolo Garcia (Watch the video if you wish to watch a short documentary film about Hacienda Luisita)

By: Isabel Bautista  **This is a fictional story based on the real-life issue of landless farmers in the Philippines. There are details that connect to actual evidences of the actual issue.** It was the year 2017, an 18-year old boy named Daniel was staring blankly at his laptop while sitting in a black Honda car. He had to write down an article about Filipino farmers for his group project and he is sighing. He could just write a really creative story but it has to have substance to it. Ian fell back on the car seat with his mother driving and his two younger sisters at the back. He was on his way to his grandparents' home because his grandfather is having a birthday and a party. It was bad timing since the deadline of the project is inching closer. Most of his group mates have already finished writing at least one article while he is stuck trying to even begin one. Plus: Why does he have to attend  birthday party? It isn't like he was close with his grandfather in the ...

By: Isabel Bautista It isn’t too surprising to hear that Philippines is a huge exporter of bananas, especially in Asian regions (Japan loves our bananas!!), and it just makes sense that the country has to have a lot of banana plantations to be able to produce the delicious yellow thing you peel before you eat. But before you peel that banana, let’s think about something. What is the cost of making the fruit and what are effects? Is it good we are profiting from the suffrage of others or is it bad that we forget that bright side of all these?? Is the this business insane??? Don’t think too hard about it as there is a simple table of pros and cons about banana plantations for you to read about. PROS CONS Lands For Banana Production - by having lands for plantation, there would be more room for goods to produce and to export to places like Japan and all the way to Middle East. More products to sell, more profit to earn. Livelihood Opportunities for Workers - businesse...