3,000 displaced Ilocano settlers in Lanao del Sur appeal for help

Three-thousand Ilocano settlers in Barangay Sumugot in Lanao del Sur have been displaced from their land and relocated to a site owned by the Southern Philippines Development Authority (SPDA).

After their houses and crops were demolished by tractors last December, the displaced farmers were ordered to cease planting in Barangay Sumugot to give way to cacao and coffee plantations.

Their plight was brought up by Efren Estoque, the president of the Small Ilocano Farmers Association, during a media forum at Club Filipino in San Juan City on Friday.

Estoque, currently based in Mindanao, is a third-generation descendant of settlers from La Union, Pangasinan and Tarlac.

He urgently appealed for government intervention to address their predicament and decried the lack of media attention. Despite a press conference attended by 10 media outlets, only one blogger covered their issues.

Orlando Ravanera, former undersecretary and chairperson of the Cooperative Development Authority, supported Estoque’s statements. He pointed out the involvement of local political dynasties and corporations in the land disputes.

Ravanera mentioned that the incumbent mayor of Sultan Mastora, replaced by his wife, continues a legacy of political dominance that allegedly oppresses local farmers.

He also traced the historical context of these land issues back to the administration of President Ramon Magsaysay, when Ilocano settlers were granted rights to develop the land.

Ravanera accused the SPDA and associated corporations of damaging crops with tractors, often allegedly backed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police. He noted that the farmers have faced disruptions like water supply cuts and road destruction.

During a media conference in Cagayan de Oro City, Noel Subido recounted a massacre involving his father and 21 others, including a pregnant woman.

Despite the presence of the 5th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, no action was allegedly taken.

Ravanera condemned these human rights violations and revealed ongoing discussions with SPDA Administrator Gerry Salapuddin and the Commission on Human Rights, who he claimed seem to side with the corporations interested in using the disputed land.

Leonardo “Leony” Montemayor, former Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Chairperson of the Federation of Free Farmers highlighted that the SPDA’s development plans for coffee and cacao plantations have displaced local farmers.

Montemayor criticized the use of Presidential Decree 2046, issued the same day Martial Law was lifted in 1981, to justify SPDA’s control over the land. He argued that areas developed by Ilocano farmers should not be handed over to corporations, citing violations of national and international laws.

He and other advocates are planning to meet with European Union ambassadors to discuss the human rights violations in Barangay Sumugot. They believe that international recognition of these abuses could impact Kennemer’s cacao exports to the EU.