By Shayne Elizabeth T. Flores

Two decades since the Hacienda Luisita Massacre, farmers experience continuous delays in land distribution, as well as simultaneous land-grabbing and conversion by big corporations of the 7,000-hectare estate in Tarlac.

In an interview with FEU Advocate, Alyansa ng Manggagawang Bukid sa Hacienda Luisita (AMBALA) Chairman Francisco Dizon detailed the current distribution of land.

“Marami pa ring lupa na tiwangwang. Kasabay na ito, ito ‘yung mga nila-land use conversion nila sa usapin ng lupain ng Hacienda Luisita. Tinago ‘yung mga lupain na ito. Sa sukat na 7,000 hectares ang kabuuan ng Hacienda Luisita. Kasabay niyan, ang pinamahagi lamang nila ay 4,915 [hectares] (There is still a lot of unused land. These are the ones under the occuring land use conversion in Hacienda Luisita. They hid these lands. Hacienda Luisita measures a total of 7,000 hectares, but they only distributed 4,915 hectares),” he noted.

Approximately 2,000 hectares of land were said to be divided among various corporations.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ayala Corporation started to develop the Cresendo estate in Tarlac City, which took up 290 hectares of the land. 

Meanwhile, the Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation compound covers 500 hectares. Farmers attempted to seize the land in 2017 by protesting and petitioning then Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano to include it in the agrarian land distribution, but were arrested on charges of malicious mischief and physical injury for destroying the compound’s fence.

Lima Land of the Aboitiz Group is also developing the 200-hectare land they acquired last year.

Dizonir also mentioned how the Tarlac Development Corporation has yet to distribute the 358 hectares, as previously ordered by the Department of Agrarian Reform in 2016.

“May notice of coverage na ang 358 hectares na dapat maipamahagi na sa mga manggagawang bukid, pero hanggang ngayon, hindi pa rin umiiral ang sapat na lupain na para sa manggagawang bukid ng Hacienda Luisita (There was a notice of coverage stating that the 358 hectares should be distributed among farmers, but farmers have yet to receive sufficient land until now),” he shared.

Similarly, farmer and massacre survivor Luneng Halili asserted rightful ownership to the confiscated lands as they are all agricultural and remain to be open cases.

“Kailangan namin ang lupa at [ang] lupang ‘yon ay agricultural lahat pero ninakaw nila. Open case pa rin ‘yon… Ang lahat ng ninanakaw nila’y mga open case dahil napanalunan namin yan na dapat ay mapasaamin (We need the land and all of land is agricultural but they stole them. They are still open cases… All of the land they stole are open cases and should be ours because we won them),” she claimed.

Halili also mentioned being charged six years ago for entering a disputed land.

“Gusto naming tamnan ‘yun. Ang lupang ‘yun pinasok namin ‘yun pero nagdemanda sila. Hinarap ko ng anim na taon ‘yun (We wanted to plant on that land so we entered it but they filed charges. I faced the case for six years),” she explained.

Following the case’s dismissal in 2023, Halili revealed how Tarlac City Mayor Cristy Angeles attempted to fence some of the land.

“Pagnanakaw naman ang ginawa ni Cristy Angeles na siya ang sa likod ng Aboitiz. Binakuran nila ang lupang dapat sa amin, na dapat na naming tamnan (Cristy Angeles who was behind Aboitiz committed theft. They fenced off the land that should be ours, where we should plant on),” she claimed.

The farmers were then charged three times with follow-up cases, but were all denied by the court.

Additionally, the farmers still have not received the P1.33 billion owed to them by Hacienda Luisita, Inc. (HLI) for the irregular sale of land assets under the agrarian reform, as ruled by the Supreme Court of the Philippines in 2011.

Dizon also shared how only 6,212 farmers receive benefits rather than the supposed 6,296 beneficiaries.

“Pati nga ‘yung karapatan namin sa usapin ng P1.33 billion ay hindi pa ibinibigay sa mga manggagawa… Ang benepisyaryo sa loob ng Hacienda Luisita ay 6,296 dapat pero ang ginawa nila ay 6,212 na lang (Farmers have yet to receive the 1.33 billion we have rightful ownership of. The beneficiaries inside Hacienda Luisita were supposed to be 6,296 but they decreased it to 6,212),” he added.

Furthermore, the AMBALA chair stated that such cases of land-grabbing limit farmers’ role in the country’s food production.

“Paano lilikha ng pagkain ang mga magsasaka, [kung] mismo ang lupa na dapat para sa kanila ay kino-convert ng mayayaman, ng mga kapitalista tulad na lamang ng Cojuanco-Aquino, kasabay nito ang Ayala at Cresendo at ang RCBC at ang Aboitiz, mga mayayamang pinaghati-hatian ang lupain ng Hacienda Luisita (How can farmers produce food if the land that should be for them are converted by rich capitalists such as the Cojuanco-Aquino, Ayala Cresendo, RCBC, and Aboitiz, who divided the land at Hacienda Luisita among themselves),” he expressed.

Citing the imminent demolition of another place situated in Hacienda Luisita, Dizon further emphasized the importance of peasant resistance.

“Mayroon pa silang balak na i-demolition ang isang lugar sa sentral na sakop ng Hacienda Luisita… Kung hindi tayo kikilos at hahakbang para sa karapatan, lahat tayo ay itataboy sa lupa na para sa atin… tuloy tuloy ang paghakbang para sa tunay na reporma sa lupa,” he said.

Last October, President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. waived P12.1 million government dues owed by over 300 farmers and distributed approximately 219 hectares of farmlands within Hacienda Luisita, which is only five-percent of the 4,200 hectares they are entitled to. 

Hacienda Luisita is a sugar plantation spread across 11 villages in Tarlac City, La Paz, and Concepcion towns. Acquired by the Cojuanco family in the late 1950s, the estate has a long history of land disputes and peasant resistance.

In 2004, thousands of sugar farm and mill workers went on strike against the HLI management to demand the reinstatement of laid-off workers. The situation escalated when state forces attempted to break up the picket, killing 14 residents and wounding at least 200 others, which has yet to be accounted for.

- With reports from Mark Vincent A. Durano

(Photo courtesy of Altermidya)