Around 70 farmers and support groups in the Visayas recognized farmer’s rights in various program, policy and advocacy works during a regional forum and workshop held at Central Philippines State University in Kabankalan City, July 20.
The Southeast Asia Regional Initiatives for Community Empowerment (SEARICE) highlighted the forum on the United Nations Declaration for Rights of Peasants, and Other People Working in Rural Areas (UNDROP), that acknowledged the interrelated basic human rights of smallholders including farmer’s rights “to live a better life.”
SEARICE is a non-government organization based in the Philippines, working on the capacity development of smallholder farmers from different communities in South and Southeast Asia.
Among the topics discussed were national legislations relevant to Farmers’ Rights, challenges in the convention on Biological Diversity, issues in the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.
Executive Director Normita Ignacio stressed that there has to be policies needed to be monitored and implemented to address problems of agriculture and farmers, “lahat ng mga maliliit na farmers talagang naiwan sila at na marginalized. Marami sa kanila, very ironic na sila ang nag po-produce ng pagkain at nagpapakain sa buong mundo, pero sila ang nagugutom — hindi maganda na patuloy na nangyayari ‘yon.”
She said the forum is among other programs they hold to educate and empower farmers. “Dapat isipian nila na napakahalaga ng role nila, huwag sila mahinaan ng loob kasi as soon as malaman ang karapatan nila, kailangn lang nilang mag consolidate, magtulungan , pagmagasama-sama sila maslalakas ang boses nila at hopfeully maririnig sila,” she said.*