Negros Occidental Farmers, led by the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP)-Negros and the National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW)-Negros, staged a protest yesterday, October 30, in front of the provincial capitol in Bacolod City. They called on the governor to take a stand against the oil palm plantation in the town of Candoni and demanded that support be given to those affected by the “tiempo muerto” or dead season.

In a meeting with the Provincial Environment Monitoring Office, the agency cited that the local government has limited power to stop the expansion of the Hacienda Asia Plantation Incorporated (HAPI) and Consuji plantations in Candoni. HAPI Inc began evicting and bulldozing the residents’ land in barangays Gatuslao, Agboy, and Payauan in Candoni in July, affecting 6,652 hectares.

According to the agency, the only thing it can do is facilitate a dialogue between HAPI and the affected residents to air their grievances. The local government’s inutility to protect their rights and land sorely disappointed the farmers.

“Each day that HAPI Inc is allowed to continue its operations in Candoni is equivalent to years of irreversible damage on the environment. We need action now,” Dani Tabura of KMP Negros said.

Additionaly, the farmers demanded that the local government allocate a budget to address the annual problem of farm workers’ unemployment during the tiempo muerto. They insisted that the government should provide ₱15,000 in financial assistance to farmers who are jobless during this period.