Chapter 38 – PANELFU, Labor & Farmers’ Union in Panay

The Philippine Association of Nationalists Employees, Laborers and Farmers Union (PANELFU), was a labor union headed by Atty. Nicolas Centeno, legal counsel for peasants and Atty. Cesar Beloria, vice president, legal counsel for labor. Mrs. Dolly Centeno Javellana was President. She finished her law studies at Lyceum of the Philippines in Manila. She decided to go back to Iloilo and joined the labor movement.

In 1970 after working and studying in Manila for 6 years, I went back to Central Philippine University and enrolled again at the College of Theology. That was the 2nd time I studied at the College of Theology. After the semester I stopped again. I joined the labor & farmers union as organizer and trainor.

I met Dolly Centeno at Lyceums years ago. We talked of my possible joining her in Iloilo. A few months later, we met again. She asked me to join PANELFU. Then she recommended me to the Board as Chairman of the Education Committee. I was elected by the Board, Chairman of the Education Committee. Elected Vice Chair was Frank Carilimdiliman. He graduated from Visayas Central College (VCC) in Iloilo City.

After our orientation on PANELFU directions, Frank I went around and traversed most villages in Iloilo, the coastal and hinterland villages doing legal education and land reform seminars. We reached out also to the villages where PANELFU members were organized in villages and towns of Capiz, Aklan, Antique and Guimaras.

During President Diosdado Macapagal’s presidency in 1961-1965, Congress passed a Land Reforms Law. Some Land Reform Laws were passed during the Presidencies of Manuel Roxas, Elpidio Querino, Ramon Magsaysay and Carlos Garcia. But these land reform laws were emasculated laws, passed by landowners who dominated Congress. It had so many loopholes that genuine land reforms can hardly be implemented.

Atty. Nicolas Centeno and Atty. Cesar Beloria knew that genuine land reforms cannot be implemented under emasculated land reform laws in the country, even the latest Land Reform Law passed during President Diosdado Macapagal’s time.

But people must be educated, trained, organized and mobilized to work and implement Land Reforms under very limited legal opportunities offered during President Macapagal’s presidency.

PANELFU had 350 chapters organized in Panay: Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, Antique and Guimaras island. Many village chapters were organized in Pavia, Ilolilo City, Janiuay, San Miguel, Leon, Oton, San Joaquin, San Miguel, Miagao, Leganes, Zarraga; Pototan, Barotac Nuevo, New Lucena, Bingawan, San Enrique, Dumangas, Lambunao, Calinog, Duenas, Dingle, Barotac Viejo, Barotac Nuevo, Anilao, Sara, San Dionesio, Batad, Concepcion, Lemery, Banate, Ajuy, Passi and Balasan.

There were also village chapters in the municipalities of Antique, Aklan, Capiz and Guimaras Island. Our task was to continue the education and training of chapter members so that they could do their responsibilities well. Officials of village chapters were called for further training to enable them to run effectively the village chapters. We helped mobilized them to recruit more members and organize new chapters in different municipalities. After 10 village chapters were organized, a municipal chapter was organized. The task was to organized farmers and laborers for education and implementation of land reforms in the region under limited opportunities. In 4 years we will be able to organized 1,000 chapters In Panay and Guimaras.

It was a hard and challenging task. It gave us the opportunity to reach and assist the broad masses: poor, weak and deprived people. It was hard work, a kind of Christian ministry which I thought was much more needed under the citcumstance. It was needed more than finishing the 4th installment of my studies in the College of Theology.

Mr. Jose Ma. Nava, President of Federacion Obreros de Filipinas (FOF) went as a delegate to several International Labor Union conferences in different cities like Shanghai, Moscow, Peking and other cities in the early part of 1950s. Delegates to these International labor conferences were mostly Marxists from labor organizations in different parts of the world.

In the 1950’s, there was a war between the government forces and the Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas (PKP), in Panay. FOF under the leadership of Jose Ma. Nava and Atty. Nicolas Centeno reportedly sent two squadrons of laborer and peasant fighters from Iloilo City and Dumangas. They joined the forces of Guillermo Capadocia, top Communist leader and member of the PKP Political Bureau that fought for the liberation of Panay.

Jose Ma. Nava and Atty. Nicolas Centeno were arrested and charged with rebellion. They were sent to Muntinglupa where they were imprisoned while the rebellion charges against them were heard by the court. They were convicted and imprisoned for more than than 10 years. Together with them in prison were Andres Togonon, (Commander Guevara) and his wife, Coronacion Chiva (Commander Waling-Waling). The two commanders were officers of the revolutionary army headed by Guillermo Capadocia of Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas in Panay.

With them in Muntinglupa prison were revolutionary leaders and fighters in Manila, Central Luzon, Northern Luzon and other parts of the country. President Manuel Roxas, after the defeat of the Japanese declared the Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas (PKP) an illegal organization and ordered the PKP & Hukbalahap members arrested and imprisoned,

This was unfortunate action because during the Japanese -American war, in 1941 -1945, the Filipino communists mobilized their forces and fought with the Filipinos and the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFEE), against the Japanese. Many Filipino communists died fighting Japanese Imperial Forces.

When President Roxas declared the Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas (PKP) an illegal organization, some communists were killed. Others were arrested and imprisoned. But many went underground. They re-organized their forces, this time to fight the government. President Roxas made that unfortunate decision ordered by Gen. Douglas MacArthur who wants to eliminate communism in the Philippines. General MacArthur and President Roxas failed .

Communist rebellion and insurgents continued until today,in 2019. One of the major reasons for communism to exist in the country was poverty, inequality and injustices committed by the elites and oligarchs who control the country’s resources, businesses, war machines and lands.

After their released from prison, the couple, Andres Togonon and Coronacion Chiva returned to their home in Calinog and worked on their small farm in Alibunan village, at the foot of the mountains. They planted rice, corn and coffee and started a peaceful life. They worked and helped organized PANELFU’s village chapters in Alibunan.

Andres Togonon was elected President of PANELFU,s municipal chapters in Calinog. Later, he was elected Chairman of PANELFU in Central Panay.

I learned later that most top leaders of PANELFU were former HUK members who joined the farmers and labor unions. With KM members, they help re-reorganized the new Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) headed by Jose Maria Sison in the villages of Ilollo, Capiz, Aklan, Antique and Guimaras. The old communist party, Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas (PKP) founded in 1930 is also existing but is vanishing from the political scene.

After his released from prison in Muntinlupa, Mr. Jose Ma. Nava went back to Iloilo City to rest and recuperate. He did not go back to the trade union after he was released.

After his release from Muntinglupa, Atty. Centeno went back to Iloilo City and practiced law again. He saw opportunities thru legal struggles, organizing peasants for justice, freedom and land reforms. He pushed the cause of farmers and laborers thru legal battles in the Provincial and City Courts of Iloilo. PANELFU was organized and registered as a labor union.

Atty. Centeno and Mrs. Dolly Centeno Javellana were in court every day fighting the cause of the farmer for equality, justice and land reforms. Atty. Cesar Belloria was fighting the legal battles of workers in courts of Iloilo City and Bacolod City . Monday to Friday, Frank Carilimdiliman and me, made follow-up seminars and educational training for PANELFU members and officers in villages and municipal chapters that were organized.

After organizing 10 village chapters in a municipality, we organized the municipal chapters, headed by the most potential courageous and experienced labor union leaders from the surrounding communities. This group mobilized themselves to expand political education and labor educations in the municipalities in Panay Island.

From 1968 to early 1972, farmers during PANELFU’s anniversaries mobilized rallies in Iloilo City with several thousand farmers and farm laborers from Panay in a parade waving flags-- red, blue and white, as they marched from Jaro Plaza to Plaza Libertad. These were peaceful rallies calling for equality, justice, freedom and land reforms.

The farmers and farmworkers who were chained deep in poverty and life of hopelessness under an oppressive government controlled by the rich and oligarchs that also dominated politics in local and national leadership. They started to stand and fight for their rights in our country.