Bishop assures support for marching Batangas farmers

MANILA, Philippines - Farmers from Calatagan in Batangas who marched fro their farmland to Quezon City received an assurance of support Wednesday from Catholic Church officials in Manila. Manila auxiliary bishop Broderick Pabillo said he met with some of the farmers who had walked from Batangas to the Department of Agrarian Reform in Quezon City. "The National Secretariat for Social Action will help the farmers during their march and in setting up meetings with government officials from the Departments of Agrarian Reform and Environment and Natural Resources," Pabillo said in an interview on Church-run Radio Veritas. Pabillo also chairs the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Social Action, Justice and Peace. He said the farmers have been given their certificates of land transfer and some have already paid what is due the government. But they said the property was converted to commercial use after it was found out the land was not agricultural. The farmers left Calatagan at 4 a.m. last Monday for a 15-day trek dubbed "Lakad Kalampag para sa Lupang Pangsakahan Hindi Minahan" to assert their agrarian claims over 507 hectares that were awarded to them in 1990. They said the land was included in the Mineral Production Sharing Agreement of Asturias Industries for mining purposes. Pabillo said the farmers hope the DENR and the Office of the President declare the land in question as agricultural and urged the government to uphold their rights.- GMANews.TV