Allotment of 600,000 hectares to Japanese in Northern Luzon, treachery to peasants, group said

The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP, Peasant Movement of the Philippines) condemned the allotment by the government particularly the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources of 600,000 hectares to Japanese Pacific Bio-Fields Corporation in Northern Luzon, starting in Ilocos Norte province. The said lands are to be cultivated with coconut as a source of bio-fuel to supply the demand of the Japanes market.

“The government is quick in alloting 600,000 has. to foreigners while the Filipino peasants have been struggling to own their hard-labored lands for centuries. This is outright treachery of the Arroyo government to the peasants and country, and its selling of lands wrapped up as lease is a breach to our sovereignty,” Danilo Ramos, KMP Secretary-General said.

The group said that local government officials are in conspiracy with the Arroyo government as one of the proponents is Ilocos Norte Rep. Ablan Roque, Jr., one of those who approved the House Resolution 1109 or ‘Con-Ass’ last June 2. Rep. Roque said that the Japanese are initially pouring P3.5 billion for the project.

“This selling of lands to the Japanese would surely displace many peasants and the project would only be stricken with graft and corruption as even the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) official Joselito Reyes said that local officials are already itching for the project,” said Ramos.

PENRO also claimed that the lands are saddled with legal impediments and covered by tenurial agreements.

“Reyes said that the Japanese are conservative, want barren areas, do not want to cut down trees and paperwork. We believe that the Japanese themselves have seen that the areas are being cultivated by farmers and the only way the government could allot 600,000 hectares are through the ejectment and displacement of the peasants,” Ramos added.

KMP believes that the Arroyo government is pushing through with its money-making scheme from selling the country’s lands to foreigners with or without Charter Change (Chacha). Last year, Arroyo has been declaring that 3 million hectares would be allocated to foreign countries and agro-corporations.

Foreign Corporation Hectarage

San Miguel Kuok Food Security, Inc. (SMKFS), a partnership of Eduardo ‘Danding’ Cojuangco to Malaysian Kuok Group 1 million

Fuhua Agricultural Science and Technology Development Co., Ltd. (Fuhua Co., a hybrid rice corporation) from China 1 million

Agriculture Department of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (ADGZAR) of China 40,000

Beidahuang Heilongjiang Group of China 200,000

Pacific Bio-Fields Corporation of Japan 600,000

The Arroyo government’s offer to SMKFS tags at $1,000 per hectare, or a total of $1 billion while deal with Chinese Fuhua Co. tags to about $3.58 billion. Moreover, from Arroyo’s recent trip to Korea, the government has planned to venture a $600 million project with the Koreans, involving sugarcane and jathropa for bio-fuel. Arroyo is also refining agreements with Brazil, U.S., Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Italy, U.A.E, Syria, Russia and more.

With the Arroyo government’s measure, KMP believes that it would push through with 100% foreign ownership of land through Charter Change or amendments to be led by her lackey lawmakers.

“Arroyo is already selling our country to the foreigners and 3 million hectares , we should all oppose Chacha and 100% foreign ownership of land as this would break our country into pieces and the Filipino would be left of nothing,” Ramos called.#