Sugarfolks Unity for Genuine Agricultural Reform (SUGAR)-Batangas, led the gathering of up to 3,000 farmers before the Social Welfare and Development (SWAD) office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Batangas City on July 10 to demand the distribution of aid earmarked for them.

The aid promised to farmers was not distributed for a year. The DSWD’s demand for the submission of various documents factored in the delay. Recently, the DSWD rejected the list of the 5th batch of beneficiaries and their documents. The protest action forced the DSWD to accept the farmers’ documents and promised to process them. The farmers were told to wait for House Speaker Martin Romualdez’s free schedule for its distribution.

“We congratulate all the members of SUGAR for the success of our collective action,” SUGAR said on the day of the distribution. “This proves that by working together we can achieve our demands like the ₱10,000 aid.”

They call on Romualdez to fulfill the aid promised to the 12,000 beneficiaries.

“This has been deliberately delayed for over a year, don’t prolong it further,” the group said.