Reports from correspondents:
Agrarian struggle in Cagayan and Isabela:
Campaign to raise corn prices a success

Basahin ang artikulong ito sa Pilipino

October 13 was market day. Many farmers were convinced to join the call bannered by a streamer hung at the Baggao market: "Join the confrontation! Raise corn prices!" On October 14, farmers led by KAGIMONGAN (Alliance of Cagayan Farmers) confronted four local merchant-usurers to demand the following:

1. allow other merchants to enter Baggao;
2. reduce interest on loans from P250 for every P1,000 per month (equivalent to 25% interest monthly, 150% per harvest or 300% annually) to 25 kilos of corn or P175 for every P1,000 per harvest (equivalent to 17.5% per harvest or 34% annually). Thus, interest rates paid by farmers will be reduced by almost 89%.
3. exempt farmers affected by calamities from paying interest � that is, they should pay only the principal come the next harvest;
4. conduct negotiations before seizing the properties of farmers who are unable to pay their debts.

The peasants were able to achieve big victories through their collective action and perseverance in confronting merchant-usurers to assert their demands.

But success did not come easily. The farmers had to conduct a series of meetings to consolidate their ranks and unite on their moves.

Not a single merchant met with them during the first dialogue scheduled on October 5.

The peasants conferred once more and changed their tactics � they confronted the merchantusurers one by one, with more of them doing so and not just the farmer-leaders. They first approached Sofronio Calimaran, the biggest merchant-usurer whose operations covered Sto. Domingo, Baggao. He refused to raise corn prices. On October 7, they confronted Nena Caculitan, another merchant-usurer. She agreed to raise the price of corn from P6.30 to P6.70 per kilo.

The farmers conducted another meeting to lend more impetus to the campaign. They called for a big confrontation meeting with all merchant-usurers from Baggao and a mobilization in Tuguegarao City. They prepared for the intensification of the campaign to coincide with the October 13-17 commemoration of Peasant Week.

In Tuguegarao City, the farmers tried to hold a dialogue with provincial officials at the capitol but no one came to meet with them. They then sent a delegation to Tuguegarao to confront Magno Y. Lim, a merchant with province-wide operations.

During the confrontation, Lim agreed to raise the price of corn to P7.00 per kilo and waive transport fees from Baggao. Thus, the four merchants from Baggao were compelled to raise the price of corn bought from the farmers.

February 2003
English Edition

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