Advance of Agrarian Revolution in Southern Luzon
Under the Second Great Rectification Movement (SGRM), the Party and the New People�s Army (NPA) are once more solidly uniting with the peasant masses. Cadres and fighters criticize themselves for the errors brought about by grave deviations. They encourage the masses to reinvigorate the revolutionary mass movement. They assiduously participate in social investigation, solid organizing, campaigns and mass struggles, propaganda and production work�aside from military work.
Consequent to these efforts of the Party and the NPA, there is a revitalization in the armed struggle, the revolutionary mass movement and the advancement of anti-feudal struggles.
The revolutionary mass movement in both cities and countryside gained momentum this year and even in the past.
The number of tactical offensives increased. Last year, the reactionary state was astonished by the intensity of the NPA's tactical offensives especially in Southern Tagalog and Bicol.
Agrarian revolution was also vigorously advanced in these two regions. In 1997, there were 11 cases where farm workers struggled for and won wage increases in different guerrilla zones in Southern Tagalog. Six hundred people benefited from this campaign.
In Gumaca, Quezon, tenants from a coconut plantation in two adjacent villages forged ranks and compelled their landlord to shoulder 15% of the production cost.
In Mindoro Oriental, scores of families mobilized themselves to develop a pastureland long abandoned by landlords. Through "suyuan" and other forms of cooperation, the farmers planted the formerly uncultivated land with palay, corn, vegetables and fruits. The beneficiaries also raised farm animals. The venture continues to be supervised by the local Party branch with the assistance of the people's army.
In Rizal, a "back-to-production" campaign is being waged�the first anti-feudal struggle to be launched in Southern Tagalog since the SGRM began. Farmers who abandoned their fields in favor of logging were encouraged to cultivate their farms once more and assert their right to till the land.
In Campano-Guevarra Estate, Mindoro Occidental, the peasant masses resolutely wage militant antifeudal struggles despite intense militarization.
In Bicol, agrarian revolution is being revitalized along with the overall advance of revolutionary work in the region. In a number of guerrilla zones in Camarines Sur, organized peasants were able to assert the implementation of "tersyong-baligtad" (70%-30% sharing agreement in favor of the farmers). Previously, a 70%-30% sharing agreement existed in favor of the landlord. Farm workers in other parts of the province also successfully won a P30.00 increase in their daily wage. In Sorsogon, a 25% wage increase was gained. Forms of cooperation such as "luyo-luyo" are once more being practiced in Camarines Norte.
The masses in the region collectively uphold a campaign to develop irrigation systems and raise production levels.
Another indication of a revitalization in the revolutionary mass movement in the countryside is the strengthening and expansion of the open mass movement. The people�s resolute opposition to the state�s anti-peasant schemes forms part of the revolutionary antifeudal struggle.
A regional peasant federation that advances legal struggles against widespread land conversion and other policies detrimental to the peasantry has been reestablished in Southern Tagalog. Alliances against quarrying have also been formed in Albay and Camarines Sur.
The resolution of land problems through agrarian revolution is the main democratic content of the national-democratic revolution. In order to pursue the people�s war to victory, agrarian revolution is advanced alongside the armed struggle and the establishment of revolutionary bases in the countryside.
Under conditions of semi-colonialism and semi-feudalism in the Philippines, this is the only way to arouse and mobilize the peasant masses in their numbers to wage revolution, and thus ensure the existence of broad mass support for the revolution. The vast majority (70%) of the population are peasants who, for centuries, have suffered intense feudal and semi-feudal exploitation at the hands of landlords, imperialists and even the reactionary government.
Agrarian revolution is advanced stepby- step to build the solid, staunchest and broadest revolutionary unity and strength of the peasantry. This strength will be used to weaken, also step-by-step, the political power of the landlord class and other reactionary classes in the countryside. Confiscation of the landlords� estates and free land distribution comprise the maximum program of agrarian revolution. This will be implemented once nationwide victory is attained.
It is the minimum program of agrarian revolution that is currently being implemented. Mass organizations, hand in hand with the NPA, fight to reduce land rent, increase the wages of farm workers, abolish usury, increase the prices of agricultural products and develop production.
Because it is the key to the solid expansion and strengthening of the revolution, advancing the anti-feudal struggle must be given the utmost importance and accorded sufficient attention by all Party committees and NPA units in the countryside. There must be explicit and particular programs to advance campaigns and anti-feudal struggles in guerrilla fronts and localities. Mass struggles must be closely supervised. They should be promptly assessed and problems that arise must be resolved. Experiences should, from time to time, be comprehensively summed-up to develop policies, tactics and techniques and raise the consciousness of the peasants based on concrete experiences.
Under the reactionary Estrada regime, the peasantry face a far more serious situation not only in Southern Tagalog and Bicol. Different forms of feudal and semi-feudal exploitation not only persist but are being intensified to extract the largest possible surplus from the peasants� toil. Aside from traditional landlords, various foreign and local landgrabbers, speculators and big corporations flock to the rural areas to siphon out natural resources and labor power from the countryside or to make a quick buck from public contracts and real estate speculation, mining and the like. They inflict extreme hardship on and aggravate the agony of the peasantry.
Given these circumstances, the peasant masses have no other recourse but to collectively advance the anti-feudal struggle under the banner of the people�s democratic revolution.
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