“DAR officials are fully aware that Hacienda Looc is a
contested land and that the fraudulent cancellation of their
certificates is not equivalent to a conversion order,” KMP secretary
general Danilo Ramos said.
By
RONALYN V. OLEA
Bulatlat.com
Sidebar: Hacienda Looc farmers decry harassment, tag Henry Sy as a ‘landgrabber’
MANILA – Fighting for their land and livelihood, farmers from
Hacienda Looc camped outside the national office of the Department of
Agrarian Reform (DAR), Sept. 19.
Farmers belonging to Ugnayan ng mga Mamamayan Laban sa Pangwawasak ng
Kalupaan ng Hacienda Looc (Umalpas-Ka) reiterated their demand to stop
the conversion of 8,650 hectare Hacienda Looc in Nasugbu, Batangas.
SM Land, owned by business tycoon Henry Sy, is developing 5,800
hectares of Hacienda Looc into the Hamilo Coast project that includes
the Pico De Loro Beach and Country Club and the Pico De Loro Residential
Condominiums. It aims to develop 13 natural coves, 25 kilometers of
pristine beachfront; forests, mountains, limestone cliffs, and rock
formations. Since 2004, SM Land has been building structures along the
coastal areas, converting farmlands and displacing farmers and fishermen
of Hacienda Looc.
Farmers from Hacienda Looc set up a camp in front of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR). (Photo by Ronalyn V. Olea / bulatlat.com)
Umalpas-Ka and Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) accused DAR
officials and SM Land of collusion to evict farmer-beneficiaries from
the hacienda.
“The DAR and SM Land are obviously in collusion with each other to
evict farmers and push through with the anti-people Hamilo Coast project
in Hacienda Looc,” Armando Lemita, Umalpas-Ka spokesman, said. “The DAR
allowed SM Land to grab our lands,” Lemita said.
Lemita said that during their dialogue with DAR, Sept. 13, officials
failed to present any conversion order. “SM Land has arbitrarily
converted more than 200-hectares of the contested land for the Hamilo
Coast land development project,” Lemita said.
In 1990, the DAR granted a collective certificate of land ownership
award (CLOA) and emancipation patents (EPs) to farmers in Hacienda Looc
under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). After several
years, the DAR cancelled the certificates after the government’s Assets
Privatization Trust (APT) sold the whole hacienda to Manila Southcoast
Development Corp. (MSDC), a member of the SM Group of Companies.
“DAR officials are fully aware that Hacienda Looc is a contested land
and that the fraudulent cancellation of their certificates is not
equivalent to a conversion order,” KMP secretary general Danilo Ramos
said.....
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Source: Bulatlat.com
URL:
http://bulatlat.com/main/2011/09/22/dar-accused-of-%E2%80%98conniving%E2%80%99-with-henry-sy%E2%80%99s-firm-to-evict-hacienda-looc-farmers/