Energy, water bill of gov’t offices to rise to P13 B Recto files “Green Energy Government Offices Act”

MANILA-With the national government coughing up more than a billion pesos a month for electricity and water in its offices, calls for conserving utility use in the bureaucracy have been aired anew in the Senate.  

Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto said one way of cutting the annual P12.9 billion power and water bill of the national government is for public buildings to be installed with solar panels.

“When it comes to use of renewable energy, government must practice what it preaches,” Recto said. The Senate President Pro Tempore last week filed the proposed “Green Energy Government Offices Act” which prescribes measures to reduce carbon footprint of government buildings.

Recto’s bill requires two agencies - the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of Energy (DOE) - to spearhead the installation of not only green energy systems in public buildings but also the popularization of practical energy conservation guides.

“Conservation is always a mix of the high-tech and the common sense,” he said.

Recto made the proposal after noting that utility expenses of the government have been on a steady rise, from P8.4 billion in 2011 to the projected P12.9 for 2015, which is the amount proposed in the P2.6 trillion draft national budget.

“If your utilities bill will go up by P4.5 billion in just four years, then you have to plan some cost-cutting,” he said.

This year, the allocated amount for utilities is P12.2 billion, but Recto said that going by the historical record, the amount set aside is always breached.

“In 2012, for example, while national budget documents reported an expenditure of P9.2 billion for utilities, actual amount spent according to the Commission on Audit was P11.1 billion,” Recto said.

Of this amount, P8.8 billion was for electricity, P2.2 billion was for water, and about P67 million was for cooking gas, the latter mostly by hospitals and camps of the uniformed services.

“The ratio is that for every 1 peso national government allocates for utilities, 80 centavos goes to power, and the rest mostly to water,” Recto said.

Explaining that P12.9 billion proposed for utilities covers national government offices only, Recto said the actual bill is way higher if utility expenses of local governments and government corporation are included.

While Recto called for a reduction of the energy use in public offices, he, however, called for “higher electricity consumption in one particular area  – on the streets where the installation of more street lights to deter crimes and prevent traffic accidents is clearly justified.”

In batting for solar energy use in his bill, Recto cited the DOE’s renewable energy assessment where it estimated solar’s annual potential average at 5.1 kilowatt-hour (kWh)/m2/day.

“Solar energy represents fuel input that is free-of-charge and will not affect our foreign currency reserves as imported petroleum and other fossil fuels do,” Recto stressed in his bill. 

The senator said placing more government buildings under solar power would create job opportunities.

He said “the current $800 million in direct investments in renewable energy in the country is expected to create 3,500 new jobs.” 

AFP Welcomes New ISAFP Chief

CAMP AGUINALDO, Quezon City – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) welcomed Brigadier General Arnold M. Quiapo who assumed as the new chief of Intelligence Service, AFP (ISAFP) today in a simple ceremony at the ISAFP Headquarters, here.

BGen. Quiapo formally replaced MGen. Eduardo M. Año who previously assumed as the commander of the Army’s 10^th Infantry Division last July 25.

Prior to his appointment as the new ISAFP chief, BGen. Quiapo was the Commander of 301^st Brigade, 3^rd Infantry Division, Philippine Army based in Dingle, Iloilo. He held the position from December 2011 to present.

During his tenure as commander, 301BDE conducted simultaneous signing of Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Council (JPSCC) Implementing Plan on Security  for  All  Vital Government and Private Projects, Undertakings, Facilities and Equipment with Iloilo Provincial  Police  Office,  Guimaras  Provincial  Police  Office  and  Iloilo  City  Police Office in July 2014. He also spearheaded numerous Bayanihan, and Community Development projects in the 301BDE area of responsibility.

He was also the Chief of Staff of the Training and Doctrine Command, PA in Tarlac; Group Commander, K-9 Company of the Army’s Intelligence Service Group; and Battalion Commander of 39^th Infantry Battalion, 6^th Infantry Division, Philippine Army in Mindanao.

BGen. Quiapo is a member of the Philippine Military Academy “Matikas” Class of 1983. He took specialization courses and trainings both in military and civilian schools here and abroad. He graduated the Overseas Joint Warfare Course at the Australian Defense Force Warfare Centre; Counter Terrorism Training at PMA; and Command and General Staff Course at CGSC, TRADOC, PA. He also graduated Master in Business Management at the University of the Philippines and Master of Arts in Security Studies at the Australian Defense College.

A decorated military officer, BGen. Quiapo has received various military awards; noteworthy of which are five Bronze Cross Medals, Military Civic Action Medal, Silver Wing Medal and two Distinguished Service Stars.

JOBLESS GROWTH, INEQUALITY PERSISTENT IN PHL Translating economic gains to poverty reduction remains a challenge

MANILA-The Philippines’s steady economic growth has not been coupled by improvements in the labor market, creating a “jobless growth” where many sectors of the population are unable to benefit from prosperity, and where inequality remains persistent.

The country’s growth averaged nearly 7% in the last two years, higher than all the other countries in the region except China. However, economists both local and international noted that the economic surge has failed to create jobs that will result to gainful employment for majority of Filipinos, especially those in rural areas.

The expansion of the services sector, mainly the outsourcing industry, has been remarkable but experts were careful to note that this sector demands only highly skilled positions and accounts for just 1% of employment, leaving the rest of the labor force untapped.

Within this economic scenario, the Angara Centre for Law and Economics today presented the second roundtable discussion of the Andrew Tan Lecture Series on the topic “Towards Inclusive Regional Development in the Philippines: Lessons, Challenges and Policy Suggestions” at the Malcolm Hall, College of Law, University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City.

This lecture is part of a joint study undertaken by the Angara Centre with the World Bank to identify the areas of persistent underperformance and inequality in the Philippines.

Studies showed that economic growth has been largely supported by private consumption and consumer spending, owing to employment in services, construction and remittances from overseas Filipinos. The services sector, contributing 57% of the economy, grew even further as retail, finance, real estate, and business process outsourcing (BPO) posted strong growth.

Growth has failed to permeate the other sectors of the economy, most especially to the countryside that makes up 70% of the population. Agriculture growth was at a measly 1%.

The Philippines’ overall ratio of rural-urban wage gap at 67 percent has remained constant over the last decade.

Teams of economists and leading researchers from the Philippines and abroad presented their studies and recommended actionable policy initiatives. Leading this lecture are Dr. James Robinson of Harvard University, Dr. Pablo Querubin of New York University and Dr. John C. Nye, Frederic Bastiat Chair in Political Economy at the Mercatus Center, George Mason University and Research Director at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow.

They called for public investments to support agriculture, tourism and manufacturing so that infrastructure growth can crawl out of metropolitan centers and into rural areas. Raising millions out of poverty also requires investments in transportation and communication, and improving resilience against disasters that debilitate poverty reduction efforts and threaten to reduce the middle class.

Further, creating quality jobs and enhancing competitiveness through strategic partnerships with the private sector must also be prioritized in order to move more people from the fringes of income distribution.

Clark opens first container depot

CLARK FREEPORT ZONE-Clark Development Corporation (CDC) President and chief executive officer Arthur Tugade said Monday that the three-hectare container depot inside the Freeport Zone is open to serve empty container vans congesting the Port of Manila and other ports in Northern and Central Luzon.

 

The operation of the container yard came into effect upon the signing of the lease agreement between Tugade and CargoHaus Inc. chairman Alberto Lina and President Rudy Fulo over the weekend.

 

“This is the first container yard ever in an eco-zone, and this is the first time in the history of CDC that we will be addressing issues on clogged ports and traffic congestion apart from settling the concerns of our locators,’’ said Tugade.

 

“I thanked CargoHaus for allowing me to perform for CDC and for Clark. I cannot be proud enough of this,’’ he added.

 

The lease deal mandates the use of the Freeport property near the airport as storage house of empty containers shipped from Subic to Metro Manila, Southern, Central and Northern Luzon or vice versa.

 

The agreement also states specific routes to trailers transporting the empty vans to avoid traffic along national McArthur hi-way or other national hi-ways. 

 

Lina said the removal of 20 to 40 footer containers off the road by bringing them directly to Clark will also ease traffic in Metro Manila by 10 per cent. It will also double the savings of importers from Clark to Manila, Bulacan and other Luzon areas as they do not have pay much for gas, parking and cargo fees.

 

Moreover, BCDA President Arnel Paciano Casanova hailed the strengthened partnership between CDC and CargoHaus through the lease agreement, as he called on others to follow suit.

 

“We at BCDA take pride that our family in Clark is doing well in uplifting our economy. You have seen how Clark has grown so fast and achieve a historical target that is not known before.  Hopefully others will follow suit,’’ Casanova said.

 

CDC is a member of the BCDA group, a prime mover of national development. (CDC)

‘Dramatic increase’ in 2014 Clark tourist arrivals

CLARK FREEPORT ZONE-The Tourism Promotions Office (TPO) of the Clark Development Corporation (CDC) said Tuesday there has been a dramatic rise in tourist arrivals this year, attributing most of it to some high impact and well attended events such as the MICE Conference and various sports activities.

In her report to CDC president/CEO Arthur Tugade, TPO manager Noemi Garcia said that Clark tourist visitors both domestic and international increased to 947, 227 from January to June this year, higher by 19.65 percent from the 791, 599 arrivals recorded in the same period of 2013.

Garcia’s report also indicated that 568, 904 of the total arrivals had been accommodated in various hotels inside the Freeport.

“The occupancy rate was impressive as it increased by almost 60 percent from last year’s 283, 632 for the same period,’’ she explained.

The TPO report said the remarkable increase this year also attributed to massive promotions via liaising, high travel fairs participation, networking and distributions of promotional materials and improved data collection on tourism statistics.

A total of 137, 760 day visitors, 78, 636 events and 59, 124 educational tours has been recorded in the first half. Airport arrivals, on the other hand, were pegged at 240, 563.

The MICE Conference held last June was among the many well attended events at the Freeport, which gathered some 600 delegates and guests from countries like Australia, China, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, United Kingdom, Germany, Poland and Russia.

Tugade was earlier commended by the TPO for the efficient handling of the conference.

Others that equally contributed to the surge in Freeport arrivals include sports activities such as the Clark Animo Run 2014, Milo Marathon, Run Tourism Clark and 2014 Regional Little League Asia-Pacific, which had 52 teams from 16 participating countries. (CDC)

Legarda Warns of Climate Risks Vs. Agri Growth, Poverty Reduction

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda raised concerns over the risks posed by climate change, which has been causing extreme weather events, in the growth of the agriculture sector and in addressing poverty in the country.

Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change, said that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) already warned that climate change impacts will likely make poverty reduction more difficult, further erode food security, and prolong existing and create new poverty traps.

During the briefing by the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) on the 2015 National Expenditure Program (NEP), Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said that the dismal 0.9% growth in agriculture for the first quarter of 2014 was partly due to disasters, particularly supertyphoon Yolanda.

In line with this, Legarda expressed support in improving public investments in agriculture, such as irrigation, and pouring more funds in research and development.

“The country’s agricultural adaptation program must ensure more investments in agricultural research and infrastructure, improved water governance and land use policies, better forecasting tools and early warning systems, a strengthened extension system that will assist farmers to achieve economic diversification, and access to credit and crop insurance to make significant improvements in the country’s food security goals,” she stressed.

Legarda has already warned of the ill effects of disasters and climate change to the country’s rice and crop production because both strong typhoons and droughts affect the agriculture sector.

The Senator said that past experiences have proven this fact. Typhoons, floods and droughts from 1970 to 1990 resulted in an 82.4% loss in total Philippine rice production; while the El Niño-related drought experienced in the country from 1990 to 2003 was estimated to have caused US$ 370 million in damages to agriculture.

Meanwhile, Legarda said she is hopeful that the government will be more proactive with its disaster resilience and climate change adaptation programs, as it has recognized that the war against poverty will be much harder if disaster vulnerability remains unaddressed.

“Disasters are greatly felt by the poor because the effects are magnified in their life. For many Filipinos, every single day of work is synonymous to survival. When impassable roads due to heavy downpour prevent a daily wage earner from going to work, it would mean no earnings for the day, no food on the table,” she said.

In this regard, she said that the government can look into how its social protection programs can be scaled up to not only address structural poverty, but also build resilience against the recurring impact of natural hazards.

“We cannot let disasters keep the poor forever poor. We cannot let recurrent disasters take away from our people the little that they have in life. Building resilience must be at the heart of the country’s social protection program,” Legarda concluded.

Drilon alarmed by sluggish agricultural growth

MANILA-The maxim “two heads are better than one” may not be applicable for the country’s agriculture sector, said Senate President Franklin M. Drilon who reiterated today his disappointment over the continued decline in the performance of the agriculture sector over the past months.

“I am very alarmed by the dismal figures presented to us by the economic managers insofar as the growth of agriculture sector is concerned,” said Drilon.

“The agriculture sector only grew 0.9 percent in the first quarter of the year, as compared to the 3.2 percent growth registered in the same quarter last 2013, which was still below target,” said Drilon.

“Is the apparent inability of the Department of Agriculture to increase agricultural productivity due to lack of funding or a case of bureaucratic impasse?” asked Drilon.

The Senate leader said, however, that funds for agriculture sector have continuously increased throughout the Aquino administration in an effort to ramp up agricultural productivity.

For 2015, Drilon said the DA will receive P88.8 billion, 11.1 percent higher than its current level of P80.0 billion, which shows an increase of 93 percent from its 2010 level of P47.6 billion.

The bulk of the budget, according to Drilon, will be used to build up the country’s agriculture infrastructure.

“For 2015, the government has allotted P25 billion for various irrigation activities, P14.5 billion for the construction of several farm-to-market roads, and P2.2 billion for the promotion of high value crops, P7.0 billion and P2.3 billion for the development of rice and cord industries, respectively,” pointed out Drilon.

“It appears to me that the consistent prioritization given by the administration to the agriculture sector failed to yield good results for our agriculture sector,” said Drilon.

Drilon said the dismal performance of the agriculture sector is a valid concern, considering that 11 percent of the economy is contributed by agriculture sector and nearly one-third of the nation’s labor force belongs to the agricultural sector,” he stressed.

“There is a clear downward trend in the agricultural sector, and it further went down to only one percent this year due to the effects of the past calamities,” said Drilon.

The Senate chief also lamented the poor living condition of farmers and fisher folks who remain the poorest sector of the society: “Two-thirds of the poorest sector in the society belongs to agriculture sector which should not be the case now given the huge support continuously given by government to the agriculture,”

He thus said there is a need to strengthen and address the various issues confronting the agriculture sector.

Earlier, Drilon suggested that the current structure of agriculture department be reviewed.

“I think we really need to have a clear point man and streamline the DA’s bureaucratic system. They have split the agencies into agricultural departments. I strongly suggest that this should be reviewed,” Drilon said.

Drilon warns against gov’t underspending

MANILA-Senate President Franklin M. Drilon aired concerns about the drop in government spending in 2014 which, if not addressed, could further be aggravated by the “chilling effect” of the Supreme Court’s decision on the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) on the government spending plan.

The Senate leader pointed to signs of looming underspending of the government during the Senate’s hearing on the proposed P2.606 trillion 2015 national budget.

“For the first quarter of 2014, the growth domestic product is only 5.7%, which is lower than the 7.7% growth rate we achieved in the same period in 2013,” said Drilon.

“The underspending is also visible in the decline in the government consumption for the first quarter this year which only reached 2%, way below the 10% level during the same period last year,” he added.  

Drilon thus issued a challenge to the country’s economic managers: “the challenge now is how to accelerate spending in the remaining months of the year while still complying with the Supreme Court decision on the DAP.”

“The members of the bureaucracy now have apprehension against taking initiatives, because they might face charges stemming from the DAP decision. Whether you like it or not, the SC decision on the DAP had a chilling effect on the government expenditure program," said Drilon.

He said the Office of the President and the Department of Budget and Management should closely monitor the line agencies to ensure they would implement their programs in a timely manner.

Drilon also committed that the Senate will continue to exercise its oversight functions to make sure proper and prompt government spending is given priority.

P-Noy Inaugurates Ninoy Aquino Bridge in Cagayan

Camp Aquino, Tarlac City – His Excellency, President Benigno C. Aquino III, inaugurated the “Ninoy Aquino Bridge” located at San Luis, Tuao, Cagayan, early this morning. The said bridge is 360 meters long and it connects Region II, Region I and Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR).

The “Ninoy Aquino Bridge” worth ₱599.40 million was said to be funded by the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).

President Aquino’s airplane arrived at Tuguegarao Airport before he rode a helicopter heading to Tuao. He was with DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, DILG Secretary Mar Roxas, MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino, Senator Teofisto Guingona and Secretary Manuel Mamba, who was also a native of Tuao.

The area was secured by military troops under Northern Luzon Command headed by NOLCOM Commander Lt. Gen. Felicito Virgilio M. Trinidad Jr. along with 5^th Infantry Division Commander, Maj. Gen. Benito Antonio T. de Leon.

The inauguration was also attended by the governors of the provinces of Isabela, Kalinga and Apayao and other local officials of Region II.

President Aquino, as well as his delegates was warmly welcomed by the people of Tuao upon his arrival. After the inauguration of the bridge, the President with his team rode an open car going to Barangay Naruangan to attend a short program prepared for him.

Legarda Renews Call for Disaster-Resilient and Climate-Proof National Budget

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda today renewed her call for a national budget that ensures the integration of disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) and climate change adaptation in government policies and programs.

Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change, made the statement as the Senate is set to start marathon budget hearings following the briefing by the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) on the 2015 National Expenditure Program (NEP).

“Government agencies, especially those integral to disaster resilience, should already have included in their programs proactive measures to reduce disaster risks as well as to mitigate and adapt to climate change. We need to stress the importance of a climate-proof and disaster-resilient budget because one disaster can greatly affect our people and our economy,” she said.

The Senator noted that during the DBCC briefing, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said that the government recognizes the need to focus on disaster prevention and preparedness.

Under the 2015 NEP, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRRM) Fund increased to P14-Billion. The NDRRM Fund for 2014 was P13-Billion.

Other priority programs for DRRM and CCA include the strengthened management of the country’s natural ecosystems, improved flood control and drainage projects, and carbon sequestration through the National Greening Program.

“As we proceed with the budget hearings, I would like to check if DRR programs under the 2014 budget have been implemented efficiently and effectively, particularly the NDRRM Fund, which was formerly the calamity fund and was converted as such to fund pre-disaster activities, and the People’s Survival Fund, which should finance climate change adaptation activities of local governments and organizations. Before we even approve a new budget, we have to see how the previous funds were used and look into the challenges in the implementation so that we can already provide remedy,” said Legarda.

She also said that since ecosystems decline is among the underlying drivers of disaster risks and poverty, in the context of climate change, “we must improve our green policies, which should be integrated in our development strategies, and ensure adequate funding on the same, especially on the protection of our ecosystems.”

R & D funding boosts rice yields by 25% -- book

SCIENCE CITY OF MUÑOZ, Nueva Ecija - Research and development (R & D) initiatives in rice have boosted harvests of the staple by a whopping 25%.

          This was revealed by a recently released book on rice security and poverty reduction.

          The book, entitled “Securing Rice, Reducing Poverty,” was authored by then Southeast Asian Regional Center for Agriculture (SEARCA) Director and now National Economic and Development Authority Chief Arsenio Balisacan among others.

          In the book, Balisacan and his co-authors underscored the need to  increased R & D budget in rice to close the yield gaps often attributed to weeds, pests, and diseases, which can very well be addressed by stepping up research initiatives.

          Dr. Eufemio Rasco Jr., executive director of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), concurred with the findings of the book's authors and stressed that increasing the budget for rice R & D not only boosts production but also improves the overall income of farmers.

          Historically, research expenditure as a proportion of (Gross Domestic Product (GDP) allocation in the Philippines on R&D has  been inferior to its neighbors.

          Citing data from the 2009 World Competitiveness Yearbook, Prof. Teodoro Mendoza of the University of the Philippines Los Baños, said the Philippines allocated only 0.12% of its GDP to R&D, much lower compared with Malaysia and Thailand which allocated 0.64% and 0.20%, respectively.

          A separate report by the International Food Policy Research Institute based in Washington, D.C. and the Bangkok-based Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions both noted the "rather slow-paced improvement in public spending on R&D in the Philippines relative to other countries."

          In their July 2013 report, Vietnam is reported to have increased its public spending on R&D by over 270%, from $23million in 1996 to $86 million in 2008.

          On the other hand, the Philippines spent a a much higher $133 million on R & D in 2008, up from $129 million in 1996. However, percentage-wise, this represents a scant 3% increase in spending.

          The increase in state spending on R&D having a major impact on rice productivity is most evident in the case of Vietnam where rice yield dramatically increased from 3.77 tons per hectare in 1996 to 4.89 tons/ha in 2008, making it the second highest rice producer in the region next only to China.

          PhilRice economists Sergio Francisco and Flordeliza Bordey, wirting in a paper entitled “Investments in Research, Development, and Extension: Implications on TFP,” said underfunding in public agricultural Research Development and Extension (RD & E) has become “pervasive and persistent.”

          They said such under investment slows down productivity.

          In 2007, an external review conducted to assess the impact of PhilRice, which has been conducting R & D researches to increase farmers' harvests, showed  that the farmers have benefited from the cost-reducing and yield-enhancing technologies developed by the institute. (Manny Galvez)

NE has 5,000 loose guns—PNP

CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija – The province of Nueva Ecija, once considered the country’s “wild, wild West” due to warlordism, political killings and the presence of private armies by politicians during the 80s and 90s, has 5,000 loose firearms, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP).

          Senior Superintendent Crizaldo Nieves, PNP provincial director, said the unaccounted guns are now in the hands of various individuals, including lawless elements.

          Nieves said the number of loose firearms represents a fifth of the total number of guns in the province which recorded 20,000 licensed firearms. He said the number of loose firearms is down by half from the previous 10,000 at the end of 2013.

          Nieves said firearms which have not been renewed are considered loose, adding firearms whose licenses have expired are not renewed for various reasons ranging from when the gun owner died, the gun was lost among others. “Essentially, when you don’t renew your gun license, then your firearm is considered loose also,” he said.

Still, Nieves said the province has the most number of firearms accounted for from January to December 2013 among the seven provinces in Central Luzon under “Oplan Bilang Boga” and “Oplan Katok.”

He said over the one-year period, the Nueva Ecija Provincial Police Office (NEPPO) carried out 186 operations, resulting in the seizure of 273 assorted firearms, 94 of them high-powered. Also recovered were 19 fragmentation grenades, assorted ammunitions.

Nieves said 92 persons were arrested and 140 cases were filed in court in connection with the crackdown against loose firearms.

Under “Oplan Katok,” where lawmen conducted house-to-house visitations of all gun holders urging them to renew their expired firearms, Nieves said during the 2013 local and barangay elections in October, they documented 5,868 and 11,363 unrenewed firearms licenses.

At the same time, Nieves said the province does not have anymore private armed groups (PAGs) based on their validation. (Manny Galvez)      

Hacienda Dolores farmers condemn DAR’s broken promises

SAN FERNANDO CITY, Pampanga-More than a hundred farmers from Hacienda Dolores, Porac town in Pampanga province trooped in front of the office of the Dept. of Agrarian Reform Region III office in city of San Fernando and protested its inaction and broken promises regarding the former’s plight on the land.  The farmers belonged to the Aniban ng Nagkakaisang Mamamayan ng Hacienda Dolores (Aniban) affiliated with Aguman Dareng Maglalautang Capampangan (Amc) and Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luson (Amgl, Farmers’ Alliance in Central Luzon).

“DAR as expected, has broken its promises to the farmers of Hacienda Dolores who camped out in front of their office for three months,” Joseph Canlas said, Amgl chairperson.

Last May, farmers of Hacienda Dolores set up camp in front of the said office as their lands were systematically seized by Leonardo-Lachenal-Leonio Holdings Inc. (LLL) and FL Property Management Corp. (FL), both partners of Ayala Land, Inc. who plans to construct a 1,000-hectare Alvierra eco-residential-commercial-light industrial and tourist project, akin to Nuvali in Sta. Rosa city, province of Laguna.

As the farmers’ protest is intensifying, DAR officials promised (1) to install farmers who have certificate of land ownership awards and emancipation patents for the lands they are tilling; and (2) to conduct an ocular inspection of the site, particularly to witness the fences and security posts set up by LLL and FL on the lands.  But for more than three months that passed, DAR never accomplished any of it committed.

“This showed the negligence of DAR, and the uselessness of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program against land grabbing measures of big companies such as Ayala Land,” Canlas said.

In light of advancing their legitimate interests of the land, the Hacienda Dolores farmers are to transfer their camp out at the site to serve as rallying point of their activities within the hacienda.  The farmers vowed to defend their remaining lands from possible encroachment of LLL and FL, as well as abuses of private guards and goons.

“From the successul drumming up of the Hacienda Dolores issue through setting up camp, marching from Pampanga to Metro Manila and joining the state-of-the-nation address (sona) protest, the camp out at the site symbolizes the farmers’ assertion of their rights on the land on ground level,” Canlas said.

The groups said that farmers’ situation worsened under the present administration of president Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino (BS Aquino) as Ayala Land was a big financial backer of his presidential campaign in 2010 and DAR’s inaction, as well as other agencies such as the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are only part of the political favors enjoyed by the said company.

“Hacienda Dolores farmers became usual victims of mass arrests, extra-judicial killings and filing of trumped up charges under Aquino’s term.  Thus, we hold his corruption-ridden presidency seriously accountable for the abuses against the farmers,” Canlas said.

“We will never tire of reiterating our call for justice for Hacienda Dolores farmers such as Arman Padiño, who was killed on January 13, Menelao Barcia killed on May 2, and also for jailed former Aniban chair and elected barangay chair Arturo Tolentino,” he added.

The groups said that the Hacienda Dolores farmers’ rights on land remains threatened under BS Aquino government, thus, they are joining the nationwide support for his impeachment and call for his removal from office, especially brought about by his disbursement acceleration program (DAP) that used billions of pesos of public funds.