Have you ever stopped to ask yourself, who feeds us? Who’s working under the scorching heat of the sun, planting, tending, and harvesting the crops that fill our tables? If so, it wouldn’t take a rocket scientist or rigorous research to know that the farmers—the unsung heroes of our society who work hard to ensure that our meals are always full. Yet, despite their crucial role in society, they often find themselves at the mercy of an unjust system that exploits their hard work, undermines their dignity, and leaves them with nothing but empty promises.
For decades, the farmers have fought for a fair return for their hard work, especially land reform. The hardship faced by Filipino farmers is a brutal reality that still exists today and is not a tale or gossip from the past. Reflecting on the injustice they experience is a different type of disappointment; they are the backbone of our food system. They deserve more than the gratitude that the world has to offer and recognition for helping our economy to thrive at its best.
Filipinos believe that agriculture is the backbone of our country, yet our farmers continue to struggle to make ends meet. As of 2021, the poverty rate among Filipino farmers remains significantly higher than the national average. While the national poverty rate was 18.1%, over 30-35% of farmers still live below the poverty line, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). This stark disparity highlights a painful truth: farming communities are the most economically vulnerable sector in the country.
Farmers face a system that keeps them trapped in poverty, with little to no support from the government. The promise of agrarian reform, designed to uplift them and redistribute land to those who work it, remains an unfulfilled dream for many. Instead of finding security in the land they till, they are often displaced by powerful landowners or corporations, leaving them to fight for even the smallest measure of justice. One of the most well-known examples of this struggle occurred 20 years ago in the province of Tarlac.
Justice Denied: The Hacienda Luisita Massacre
A tragic event unfolded at the Hacienda Luisita plantation in Tarlac in 2004. Known as the Hacienda Luisita Massacre, this violent confrontation occurred between striking workers, peasants, and farmers on one side and the Philippine National Police (PNP), representing the powerful landowners and corporations, on the other. The clash resulted in at least seven deaths, with the victims identified as Jhune David, Jesus Laza, Jhaivie Basilio, Juancho Sanchez, Jaime Pastidio, Adriano Caballero Jr., and Jessie Valdez.
In addition to the fatalities, over 100 workers were injured. This tragic incident became a flashpoint in the Philippines' long-standing struggle for labor rights, land reform, and the overwhelming influence of political dynasties.
According to Licas News, a case was filed against the police and military, but in a devastating blow to justice, it was dismissed by the Office of the Ombudsman in 2010. As if that wasn’t enough, the victims’ families, desperately seeking accountability and closure, filed a motion to reopen the case the same year—only for their plea to be denied once again. This heartbreaking rejection not only denied justice to the victims but deepened the wounds of those who had already suffered unimaginable loss, leaving them with no answers and no peace.
“Masakit po sa amin, na mawalan ng kabuhayan parang pinatay na rin pamilya ko sa ginawa nila.” Rudy Pineda, farmer of Hacienda Luisita said in an interview with Rappler. The decades-long battle of farmers like him in Hacienda Luisita, who have been deprived of their own land and were exploited, echoed through his words.
Those whose lives and human rights are stolen are not just workers—they are fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters, pouring their hearts into the soil with the hope that one day, their labor will be enough to feed their families and secure a better future for their children. But when they see their rights trampled upon, when they watch their hard-earned harvests go undervalued or stolen, it strikes at their very soul. The injustice they endure is not just an economic burden but an attack on their dignity, identity, and worth as human beings.
The Endless Fight for the Farmers’ Rights
On June 10, 1988, President Corazon Aquino signed the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARP) into law. The goal was clear: to give landless farmers and farmworkers the right to own the land they worked on or receive a fair share of its produce. However, the law contained a Stock Distribution Option (SDO), which allowed landowners to distribute stock shares in the land instead of the land itself. This provision ultimately betrayed the promise made to the people, especially the farmers. This is not what the people wanted. This is not what landless farmers need. This is not what the farmers of Hacienda Luisita gave their lives for.
This continued until 2005, when the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) finally acknowledged that the Stock Distribution Option (SDO) was not helping the farmers, deepening their suffering. In response, the DAR ordered the Hacienda Luisita Incorporated (HLI) to distribute the land to the landless farmers. Yet, the Cojuangco-Aquino family refused to comply, taking the matter to the Supreme Court, which issued a temporary restraining order in their favor. For the families of the victims, it was a crushing setback—what should have been a step forward became a return to square one. In 2011, the farmers were still left as stockholders, with no land in sight, forced to endure the same unjust system that had stolen their hopes for so long.
The land distribution of Hacienda Luisita was finally completed in 2018 and 2019 under former President Rodrigo Duterte. The last 117 farmworkers received their Certificates of Land Ownership in 2018, with the remaining land distributed the following year. It was a long, hard battle, but the Filipino people remained determined, never forgetting the justice the Hacienda Luisita farmers deserved. The massacre became a symbol of the farmers' fight against powerful landowners and their relentless pursuit of justice.
A Legacy of Broken Promises and Relentless Resistance
Although the Hacienda Luisita Massacre remains one of the darkest moments in our history, it also brought much-needed attention to the struggles of our farmers. This tragedy sparked change, inspiring reforms and movements to uplift our kababayan. The blood of the heroic farmers who fought and sacrificed their lives was not in vain.
Today, agriculture is still vital to our country, with land full of blessings. But farmers remain some of the lowest-paid workers, living below the poverty line. The media often shows them covered in dirt, holding sacks of fresh crops, desperately trying to sell them at high prices. Meanwhile, the government continues to import goods instead of supporting local farmers.
In the face of grief, there is resilience. In the memory of those who perished, there is a promise that their fight was not in vain. The land may have been soaked with blood, but it also sowed the seeds of a struggle that grows stronger with each passing year. This is not just a tale of tragedy—it is the story of the people who, though silenced by violence, continue to rise, remember, and demand justice.
This isn’t just a story of tragedy—it’s a call to action, a stark reminder that the fight for land, dignity, and human rights is far from over.
As we reflect on the lives lost at Hacienda Luisita, we are reminded not only of the blood spilled on that soil but of the unbroken hope that still burns in the hearts of the families who continue the fight for the rights their loved ones died defending. Though their voices were silenced that day, their legacy speaks louder than ever. It echoes through every corner of the Philippines—a resounding call for justice. The struggle for land, dignity, and human rights—is still ongoing. And it’s a battle we cannot afford to forget.
Article: Jeserie Joy Ilao, Danica Fabonan, & Lovelie Risha Camilao
Graphics: Aurelius Ceasar Gorgon
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