DSWD Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo reads a document being shown to her by the leaders of the farmers’ organization of Madaum.
After undergoing a two-hour hearing with the members of the Commission on Appointments for her confirmation as Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)yesterday, Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo, went straight to the Mendiola Bridge to meet with farmers and farm workers from Davao del Norte who have been camping out in the area since May 1.
The farmers, who are members of the Madaum Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Inc. (MARBAI) in Tagum City, have set up a camp at the right side of the Mendiola Bridge after joining the Labor Day rally at Liwasang Bonifacio to protest the refusal of Lapanday Foods Corporation (LFC) to comply to the installation order issued by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) on April 11, allowing them to reclaim the 145-hectare land held by LFC.
LFC is a multi-million peso banana company that claims ownership of around 6,000 hectares of land in Barangay Madaum, Tagum City.
The installation order by DAR was supposed to take effect on April 18, but it was postponed due to lack of police back-up. According to reports, some 800 armed security guards were also deployed by the LCF in the plantation.
This turn of events forced the farmers to return to Manila to hold protest rallies, specifically calling on President Rodrigo R. Duterte to enforce the installation order issued by DAR so the land can be distributed to them.
Also included in the camp out were farmers from Marsman Estate Plantation, Inc. and Tagum Agricultural Development Company, Inc. (TADECO) in Davao del Norte.
The MARBAI leaders discussed with Sec. Taguiwalo the assistance that they need from the DSWD, primarily their need for food during the camp out.
For her part, Sec. Taguiwalo reiterated what she said during the hearing at CA that the DSWD is ready to provide assistance to individuals who are experiencing a crisis situation.
“Handa tayong magpaabot ng tulong sa mga kababayan nating may kinakaharap na krisis, katulad na lamang ng mga magsasaka mula sa Davao na nagtitiis sa pagkakampo sa daan, hindi alintana ang kawalan ng mapagkukunan ng pagkain, maiigiit lamang ang kanilang karapatan sa kanilang lupang sinasaka (We are ready to extend aid to individuals in crisis situations, just like the Davao farmers holding a camp on the streets. They do not have a stable source of food, but they continue to fight for their rights to their land).” ###
