Around 40 farmers/ fisherfolks from Sicogon Islands in Iloilo hold a camp-out protest in front of the Department of Agrarian Reform Central Office as part of their “Reclaiming the land, water and livelihood rights of Yolanda survivors in Sicogon Island” campaign, demanding the Issuance of a Cease and Desist Order (CDO) to stop the on-going construction in the area as well as the reinstatement of land coverage under CARP through the revocation of a conversion order issued by DAR in 2016.
Belonging to the Federation of Sicogon Farmers and Fishers Association or Sicogon Island (FESIFFA) who were devastated by Super typhoon Yolanda in 2013, the said Farmers/Fisherfolks face increasing threats to their rights to land and livelihood from the private consortium of Sicogon Development Corporation (SIDECO) and Ayala Land Corporation. Backed by the intimidating presence and actual harassment of its blue guards, Ayala Land and SIDECO, seized the weakened capacity of residents and aggressively pursued its tourism project in the area with acquiescence from the government.
During the emergency response for Yolanda survivors, Sicogon residents were excluded from emergency relief (food, shelter, water, clothing) by both the government and international humanitarian organizations. In the reconstruction phase, they were also excluded from housing programs by the government intended for Yolanda survivors.
Now, private and public lands that they are supposed to own are being taken away by corporate greed with acquiescence from the government. With strong pressure, FESIFFA entered into a compromise agreement with Ayala-SIDECO in November 2014. The Compromise Framework Agreement (CFA) provided that:
• Ayala and SIDECO would provide 30 hectares of land for residential area to be donated and develop as housing area;
• Ayala and SIDECO would provide 40 hectares of land to be developed for conventional farming;
• Ayala and SIDECO would provide P 38 million pesos for livelihood support and capacity building fund
• Ayala and SIDECO would allocate P76 million land development fund, and
• Residents will be prioritized in employment for the work to be generated by the resort development
The CFA was used as the basis for the conversion of said lands from agricultural use to tourism. Four years after the signing of the CFA, only the conversion of the island is ongoing while the residents are holding empty bags as the Ayala Land-SIDECO joint venture failed to live up to its commitments under the CFA.
FESIFFA urges DAR Sec. John Castriciones to release the CDO before the end of 2018, allowing them to celebrate the holidays with their families peacefully.
