
It is deeply disheartening and frustrating to reflect on the long years of relentless struggles endured by the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) – years of hope and persistence met with systemic delays, harassment and injustice. For over a decade and a half, the ARBs have been subjected to severe intimidations and harassments as though they were being strung along for the sake of token accomplishments whereby agency’s reason for being is to help them but real change remained out of reach. Programs and laws that were supposed to protect them have instead consistently favored the wealthy and “powerful”, perpetuating the suffering of those the reforms were intended to uplift.

Despite being the legal owners of the awarded agricultural lands, the ARBs are continuously deprived of the right to exercise their ownership, cultivate the land in peace, and enjoy the fruits of their labor. Instead they are subjected to harassment, violence on their persons and their immediate family members, intimidation, baseless suits and threats all designed to prevent and coerce them from exercising their right of ownership. The intimidations, violence and harassment they endured for more than a decade, and continuously endure reflect a system that is biased against the vulnerable, marginalized and powerless and prioritizes the interests of the powerful, well connected and moneyed.
Even with decisions from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Central Office, specifically the recent ruling on June 28, 2024, signed by current DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III, dismissing ADM. Case No. A-9999-09-CLT-326-2021 that was filed by the former landowner with prejudice and directing the immediate installation of the EP holders - affirming the ARBs’ claim on the land, the situation remains unjust. The former landowner continues to harvest coconuts from land they no longer legally own – crops planted by the ARBs, who are still denied the right to farm their land. This reversal of justice is an affront to the spirit of agrarian reform and a stark reminder of the systemic inequities farmers face today.

On January 15, 2025, SARBEFO ARBs, together with fellow farmers and land rights advocates, courageously occupied their land in a peaceful assertion of their rightful claim, yet again, risking intimidation and harassment. This act underscores their resilience and the moral imperative to reclaim what has long been denied to them.
We acknowledge the immense challenges they face that must end immediately :
•The systemic bias and lack of decisive action from local authorities and complete disregard of the order of DAR-Central, emboldening those who exploit legal loopholes to retain control over land that is no longer theirs.
•The emotional and economic toll of a struggle prolonged by vested interests and legal delays, robbing farmers of the opportunity to plant, harvest, and sustain their families.
•The silence of laws and institutions that fail to act swiftly to protect the most vulnerable.
The 15-year struggle of the ARBs is a painful reminder of how systemic inequities persist, leaving farmers without access to the land intended to provide them with dignity and livelihood. Yet, their bravery and perseverance through decades of suffering reaffirm the power of collective action.
We expressly demand to the local Department of Agrarian Reform to uphold the Central Office’s decision and ensure the ARBs are finally installed on their land.
We urgently call on the Department of Agrarian Reform and all relevant authorities to take immediate action to end this injustice. The rightful installation of the ARBs must be implemented without further delays. Their safety must be prioritized, and those responsible for harassments and exploitation must face accountability. Programs and policies must stop favoring the wealthy at the expense of marginalized farmers.
Lastly, we call on President “BongBong” Marcos Jr. to act decisively and honor agrarian reform as a cornerstone of his administration’s commitments more so as to honor the memory of his late father and author of PD 27. This is an opportunity to demonstrate true leadership and stand with the farmers who rely on his promise of justice and equity.
Above all, this struggle is not just about land, it is about life, social justice, and dignity of the farmers who are toiling to feed the nation. It is also about ensuring that the land awarded to farmers through decades of advocacy is not rendered meaningless by systemic bias and exploitation by indecisiveness of the powers that be.
In solidarity,
[1] Kahugpongan sa mga Mag-uuma ug Mangingisda sa Zamboanga del Sur (KAMAGMASUR),
[2] Convergence of Zamboanga Del Sur On Agrarian Reform and Rural Development. (CONZARRD),
[3] Kahugpongan sa Mag-uuma ug Mamumuong Kababayen-an sa Zambo. Sur (KASAMMAKA),
[4] Kilusang Maralita sa Kanayunan (KILOS KA),
[5] Kilusang Maralita sa Kanayunan - Lanao (KILOS KA - Lanao),
[6] Alyansa ng mga Mamamayan para sa Karapatang Pantao (AMKP), Cotabato City,
[7] Alliance of the Tri-People for the Advancement of Human Rights (ALTAHR), Cotabato City,
[8] Lanao Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (LAHRA), Inc., Iligan City,
[9] Interfaith Movement for Peace (IMovePeace), Caraga Region,
[10] Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA), Quezon City
[11] Partido Manggagawa
[12] LABAN Kababaihan