Farmers bring call to the national capital
With various sectors, peasant organizations launched a week-long protest to mark peasants’ month. To highlight the farmers’ call, they camped out before the Department of Agrarian Reform Central Office in Quezon City from October 15 to 21. The camp hosted visits, solidarity activities, and discussions with different sectors. It also held workshops, a medical mission, and the distribution of material support to farmers.
Amihan also led a rally on October 15 to mark the International Day of Rural Women. On October 16, led by Negros island farmers, the groups again marched in Quezon City for the World Food Day. The next day, they protested at the Armed Forces of the Philippines headquarters in Quezon City to condemn militarization in the countryside. On October 19, they and artists’ groups held a night of performances at UP Diliman. They also staged a protest action at the Department of Social Welfare and Development on October 20 to demand compensation for disaster-related damages.
The farmers’ protest is set to culminate on October 21, the anniversary of the bogus land reform under Marcos Sr’s Presidential Decree No. 27. They will march with other sectors at Liwasang Bonifacio to oppose the corruption of the Marcos regime and the Duterte clique. They will call for the removal from power of the two chief plunderers.