By ROGER M. BALANZA
“Out of the cage”
“Nakabuhi sa hawla, sa kulungan,” said Gloria Panimbo in describing her feelings and that of other small banana farmers whose land will be returned to them after a decade of being tied down to a lease agreement, that was to expire in 2027, with a banana corporation.
Panimbo is one of 57 small landowners of the Pantaron Landowners Association that inked in 2012 a 15-year lease and growership agreement covering 77 hectares in Sitio San Agustin, Barangay Pantaron in Santo Tomas town with NEH Corporation.
The return of the land titles to the landowners by NEH happened after a series of negotiatons, requested by the landowners, facilitated by Santo Tomas muncipal administrator Atty. Elisa Evangelista-Lapina .
In the Usapang Legal program, Panimbo along with landowners Emely Panague and Flordeliza Tambien, profusely thanked Evangelista-Lapina and her father Mayor Ernesto Evangelista for helping the farmers get back their land,
The local government support to the landowners is in line with the program of Mayor Evangelista who is seeking reelection in the May 9 polls.
Nanawagan si 𝗠𝗮𝘆𝗼𝗿 𝗘𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮 𝘀𝗮 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗴𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗸𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘆 𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘆𝘂𝗱𝗮 𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝘆𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝘀𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗶𝘁 𝗻𝗮 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝗜𝘀𝗮 𝗿𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗶𝗵𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘆𝗼𝗻 𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘆𝗼 𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝗴𝘁𝗮𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗺 𝗶𝗻𝗽𝘂𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗯𝗮’𝘁-𝗶𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗵𝗼𝗻 𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗺𝘆𝗮.
The landowners sought the help of the municipal government to end the contract this year as NEH and its management group ENTREP met problems in the operation of the farm and obligations to the workers, including delayed salaries and failure to remit SSS premiums and PhilHealth contributions.
The Pantaorn case hit two birds in one stone: return of the land to farmers and abort a looming labor problem that could derail government efforts against insurgency.
According to Evangelisya-Lapina, a former action offricer of PEACE 911, an anti-insurgency campaign of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, Pantaron is a matter of cncern of the government’s inter-agency Security Sector because the United Pantaron Banana Worlers Association is affiliated with the militant, left leaning labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), which the military has identified as a legal front of the CPP/NPA/NDF.
According to the municipal administrator, the NEH fully cooperated and agreed to end the contract by 2022 and would return to the landowners their clean, encumbrance-free titles.
Evamgelista-Lapina said Mayor Evangelista has ordered the Municipal Agriculture Office (Magro) to extend technical support to the farmers, who would now be farming their own land.
THE DURIAN POST 