Farmer beneficiaries coming from different towns of Bukidnon are now gearing up to join their fellow farmers from other parts of the country in massive protest to urge Aquino administration to hasten the implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program with Extension Reforms (CARPER). On Sunday, 20 of the at least 50 farmers have already left for Manila while the remaining farmers will depart on February 11 from Cagayan de Oro. Oscar Maniego, chair of Alyansa Bukidnon, said they are already fed up with the promises of the DAR personnel on the ground, saying that they have been hearing the same excuses even before CARPER was signed in 2009. Maniego said the recurring delays have prompted the farmers to take their plight into to the streets, more particularly right before the Department of Agrarian Reform Central Office in Quezon City. “Puro na lang graft and corruption inaatupag ni Presidente Aquino. Sana naman pakinggan din niya ang hinaing naming mga magsasaka, lalo na itong sobrang bagal ng implementasyon ng Carper,” he pointed out. Alyansa Bukidnon is one of the farmer groups in Mindanao that is being assisted by the Task Force Mapalad, a national federation of farmers and farmworkers. Before the farmers will depart on Saturday, Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio Ledesma will offer a mass for the farmers at the Kiosk in Divisoria. Then at 12:30 noon, the farmers will march from Divisoria to Puntod wharf. Among the demands of the Alyansa Bukidnon is to hasten the land valuation of 331-hectare Fortich farm in Valencia City, which has already been covered by CARP. In North and South Bukidnon, the DAR accomplishment rate was only 25 and 9 percent, respectivel The group is also demanding before the DAR to revoke the CARP exemption order of the 847-hectare Fortich Farm. Bukidnon farmer beneficiaries are also urging President Aquino to act on the human rights violations committed by the goons of the landlords in the province. They particularly cited the case of Welcie Gica who was gunned down by the goons of the Villalon Ranch in Maramag Bukidon on Augist last year. Maniego also noted the lousy performance of the DAR for 2011, citing that the agency has even failed to accomplish even at least 50% of its annual target of land distribution. Last year, DAR managed to distribute only 86,209 hectares out of the 210,323. “Magta-tatlong taon na ang CARPER pero andami pa rin mga katuland naming na hanggang ngayon ay naghinhintay at umaasa na sana magkaka-lupa na rin kami. Sana naman, bigyang pansin ito ng kasalukuyang administrasyon kung seryoso si PNoy na i-ahon ang kanyang mamamyan sa kahirapan,” Maniego concluded.

By Eugenio Lira, Jr. Surigao City – Governor Sol Forcadilla-Matugas led on Friday the groundbreaking ceremony for the Surigao del Norte Provincial Training Center inside the Provincial Sports Complex along the SNNHS Road attended by local officials and officials from national line agencies. She was joined by Rep. Francisco Matugas, City Mayor Ernesto Matugas, Board Member Margarito Longos, League of Municipalities President Mayor Sheila May Orquina-Cebedo, Dapa Mayor Peter “Boy” Ruaya, Placer Mayor Felimon Napule, Malimono Mayor Teodoro Senaca, Claver Mayor Rosemarie Gokiangkee, Del Carmen Mayor Alfredo Coro II, Burgoz Mayor Rolito Nogaliza, Taganaan Mayor Cesar Diaz, San Francisco Mayor Simplicia Bacol, Gigaquit Mayor Carlos Egay, Sr. and Sison Mayor Leicester Fetalvero. Also attending were Prov’l. Engineer Alwin Puno, Prov’l. Manpower Training Officer Emilio Pantejo, Prov’l. Attorney Primolito Plaza, Prov’l. Tourism Officer Yvonne Beltran, Prov’l. Budget Officer Gay Cotiangco, Prov’l. Treasurer Daisy Hubilla, Caraga Tri-Media President Roberto Parada, DepEd Superintendent Evelyn Fetalvero, Prov’l. Philhealth Officer Rodrigo Ariar and Ass’t. Prov’l Agriculturist Rebecca Bagnol. In her speech, Matugas said the establishment of the training center is part of the economic enterprise agenda to boost income generation for the provincial government. “We will only charge minimal fees to agencies that would like to conduct training-workshops and avail of the outstanding facilities of the training center. This is our way of helping them in their austerity measures but avail of our quality service in the process,” Matugas said. Puno disclosed that P10-million from the DILG-Local Government Support Fund will be earmarked for Phase 1 construction of the 1,200-square meter two-storey training facility which will start next month. This will include the administration building, a library equipped with computers, a 150-person capacity air-conditioned seminar room, an 86-bed capacity air-conditioned dormitory, a kitchen, a prayer room and a spacious parking lot, the provincial engineer added. “Gov. Sol Matugas and Rep. Francisco Matugas have committed to allocate at least P5-million for Phase 2 construction of the training center. The amount will be used to purchase the necessary equipments and install additional features to the facility to make it competitive with other leading training hubs in Mindanao,” Puno said.