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A
NONGOVERNMENT organization has called on Environment
Secretary Lito Atienza and Agrarian Reform Secretary
Nasser Pangandaman to stop the conversion of
agricultural lands into other uses such as tourism and
mining.
The
Center for Environment Concerns–Philippines (CEC-Phils)
appealed to the two officials to heed the call of
farmers now camping out in front of the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources and Department of
Agrarian Reform (DAR) offices in
Quezon City.
“We
challenge the environment and agrarian reform
secretaries to come face-to-face with these farmers
groups and act upon their demands,” CEC-Phils executive
director Frances Quimpo said.
Farmers
groups from Southern Tagalog are camping out in front of
the DAR office in Quezon City in protest against
land-conversion projects in Batangas province. These
groups include the Kalipunan ng Samahang Magsasaka sa
Timog Katagalugan and the Ugnayan ng Mamamayan Laban sa
Pagmimina at Kunbersyong Agraryo.
The
groups demanded the scrapping of Executive Order 647,
designating Nasugbu, Batangas, as a Special Tourism Zone
and put it under the administration of the Philippine
Tourism Authority.
The
farmers also expressed opposition to mining projects in
the province.
The DENR
approved several mining permits in the form of Mineral
Production and Sharing Agreements in Batangas. Holders
of MPSAs include Egerton Gold Philippines in Lobo town,
Landtech Mining Resources in Calatagan and Fortune
Cement Corp. in Taysan.
Quimpo
expressed concern over the rising incidence of land
conversion, saying that this has resulted in less lands
devoted to agriculture, fisheries and food production.
“Agriculture provides a crucial life support system for
the population. Being mainly agricultural, the country’s
wise use of its agricultural lands amounting to 10.2
million hectares can spell the difference between hunger
and prosperity for the Filipino people,” Quimpo said.
She said
agricultural lands are vanishing owing to the conversion
to residential, industrial and commercial purposes.
“Instead
of being channeled to local food production, these lands
are being used to house resorts, mines, special economic
zones, and other development projects which are
primarily intended to enrich foreign investors and elite
owners,” she added.
In the
1990s, nearly three million hectares of fertile lands
suitable for agriculture have been lost to land
conversion nationwide, Quimpo claimed.
She said
this trend continues to worsen as the administration
continues to promote programs that facilitate land
conversion, such as the designation of special economic
zones, mines, and ecotourism projects, she explained.
“The
government should pass a genuine agrarian reform bill
that will effectively put a cap on such wanton and
indiscriminate land conversion projects. We need
agrarian legislation that will securely give land to the
tillers will ensure that agriculture goes in the way of
meeting the people’s needs for sustenance foremost. Our
farmers are environmentalists because they are aware
that our natural resources should be used wisely if we
are to benefit from it,” Quimpo added. |
