Land Refoms...

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Life and Time of Pastor Rudy Bernal & His Glimpses onHistory

Chapter 25– Nenita & William Dagohoy w/ Frank Carilimdiliman Helped Implement Land Reforms in their Farm in Dingle, Iloilo

In mid-1969, PANELFU has now strengthened its educational and organizational efforts in different village municipalities in Iloilo and Panay. PANELFU leadership were now pushing for new phases in the Larn Reforms effors – pushing for leashold contracts among its members, and demanding sharing basis of 75 per cent for the farmer and 25 percent share for owners of farm lands,with costs of production handled by the farmer.

This possible arrangement will change the tenancy system that provides a 50-50 per cent shares of harvest per crop season. The leasehold system, will also put the lleashold farmers to be more independent on the management of their farm. They would be freed from interference by the landowner on the management of the farm.

But pushing leasehold system, will be another level of struggle for the farmers. It will be hard, for most landowners want to have strong control of the farmers. Here PANELFU was mobilized to train farmers for strong, fast and decisive actions in implementing leasehold system.

This time in March 1970, William and Nenita Dagohoy of Dingle, decided to pushed hard for land reforms in their farms. For the moment, the will worked for leasehold system with the new sharing systems of rice harvest – 75% share of farmers and 25% shares for land owners.

Most rice farms in Dingle were first class land. There were irrigation and rice were planted in their farms, three crops a year. Mrs. Nenita Dagohoy’s farm was quite an upland farm. It was planted with rice usually, on June. Nenita Dagohoy was president of PANELFU in Dingle. There were more than 10 PANELFU chapters in Dingle. Seminars were held to train members in for strong organized efforts in the implementation of the land reforms, even with the limited demands for leasehold.

Mrs. Nenita Dagohoy wrote a letter to the land owner. In her letter, she sai: . “This crop year, we will implement Land Reforms according to law. We request you to follow the provision of the Land Reform Law. We will handle all cost of productions. After harvest, we will get 75 per cent share of the harvest. You will get the 25 per cent. This is the law”. Nenita Dagohoy signed her letter. She sent it by Registered Mail.

After receiving the letter, we heard the landowner was furious. They decided to take position of the land. He and his wife made a hard decision. They will took over position of the rice farm. They will fight a legal and extra legal battle. They decided to take position of the their land farmed by Mr. and Mrs. Dagohoy.

To assert their rights, the landowners plowed the field with a big tractor. It was March, start of dry season. They harrowed the farm immediately. Then, they get many workers to plant sugar cane seedlings on the whole fields, nearly two hectares. They get workers from another village. William and Nenita Dagohoy just watched, as sugar canes were planted on their rice field. They did not move. They just keep silent. The sugar canes were planted. It started to sprout by end of May.

The Dagohoy’s planned their moves silently and secretly. They prepared for a struggle. They will make a peaceful fight to recover their lost rice field. Secretly, by mid-May, the sowed rice seeds in another field. They made sure, the land owner do not know they have ready rice seedlings when rain came. When rain came in June, they mobilized the members of PANELFU. They plowed the fields newly planted with sugar cane seedlings during the night. They harrowed the fields. Then with, scores of members, they planted immediately rice seedlings, as sunlight comes. By early morning, the whole field with sprouting sugar canes, were now planted with rice seedlings. It was a dramatic and decisive move by the farmers.

They took pictures of the fields,. It was now planted with rice seedlings. They sent their letter and pictures to the officials of the Department of Agrarian Reforms. The landowenrs, were not able to move. The farm was very peaceful. The members of PANELFU were in the houses nearby. It was a fight of nerves. It was a battle for legal position of the land. Members of PANELFU helped guard and secure Nenita Dagohoy’s farm. They made sure, no tractor will enter the rice field and plant sugar cane again. It was a battle of minds and nerves.

The landowners filed complaints in the court. Atty. Centeno fought the case of the Dagohoy’s in the provincial court. The legal fight started and continued for years. But the position of land was now in the hands of William and Nenita Dagohoy. When it was time to harvest, the Dagohoy’s sent a letter to the owner. They asked the land owners to come and witnessed the harvest. If they will not come, the Dagohoy’s will get 75% of the harvest. The 25 per cent share of the landowners, will be deposited in the Municipal Hall of Dingle. It happened that way. Some farmers followed the Dagohoy’s experiments. And some farms were freed from the aged old tenancy system.

We continued our seminars, helping educate the farmers on land reform laws. We focused on provisions that gave farmers 75% share of harvests with 25% share for the landlords. During that time, sharing systems was 50-50%. It was a hard. But some farmers decided to apply the land reform laws in the farms they were working.

Atty. Centeno continued to fight cases of farmers in the courts. There were many successes. A number of farmers succeeded to get 75% share of the farm harvests. But it was hard fights in the courts. It was harder fighting and asserting rights for the farms. It needs courage and determinations. Many farmers succeeded. Some farmers gave up, specially when armed groups were mobilized by the landowners to take position of the land.

In 1972, President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law. And to appease the restive peasants in the country, he declared land reforms in rice and corn producing areas. This were used by President Marcos as base of his political control.

We organized the peasants, not anymore to get 75% of the harvests. We organized them so that they land they were tenants will be awarded to them under the new Land Reform Law. The possibility to own the land tenanted or leased by farmers who were organized was now a little easier. But it was a hard battle to fight. Now, some 40 years have passed since Land Reform Law was passed for rice and corn, the biggest part of the lands, specially owned by big landowners, like the Cojuanagco family in Tarlac and Negros Occidental remained, barely touched by the Land Reforms Law.

The struggle for land reforms continues. Our generation has failed to win the struggle. But the younger generations will continue to fight to recover the lands, God had given for all Filipinos to have decent lives, but were taken over by the elites and oligarchs, under laws they made that only benefits the rich, strong and powerful.