Hundreds of farmers gathered inside the Bayambang Municipal Covered Court as the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Rafael “Ka Paeng” V. Mariano held an open forum during his visit here last Friday, November 11.

Secretary Mariano discussed at length Republic Act No. 6657 or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988. This law continues to give DAR the power to acquire, administer, distribute, and develop agricultural lands for agrarian reform purposes even after the expiration of the period for land acquisition and distribution in 2014.

Secretary Mariano, who was welcomed by Vice-Mayor Raul Sabangan and Municipal Administrator Atty. Rajini Sagarino, assured the farmers that no one among them, whether an agrarian reform beneficiary or not, will be ejected from his land under his watch.

“Siguro ang advantage ko ay galing ako sa pamilya ng mga mambubukid. Thirty years na rin akong nasa kilusan ng mga mambubukid. I will do my best to defend agrarian reform. Iyong totoong reporma,” Mariano explained.

Mariano also encouraged the farmers’ groups to file petitions for a notice of coverage of their agricultural land even if the DAR’s authority to issue a notice of coverage has lapsed, since the department will start the documentation process.

The forum, dubbed as “Talakayan Hinggil sa Tunay na Reporma sa Lupa at Pambansang Industriyalisasyon,” was attended by members of Nagkakaisang Magsasaka at Mangingisda ng Mangabul (NAMMNAMA) and the Ulopan na Umbaley ed Camp Gregg Military Reservation.

The event was organized by the Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luson (AMGL), Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) Central Luzon, which aim to help the peasants from this town to secure rights of ownership over the former Camp Gregg Military Reservation and the areas around Mangabul Lake which the farmers and fishermen say they have been tilling and occupying for generations. (Bayambang PIO/Media Affairs)