Archive for November 19th, 2007

Nov 19 2007

Walk for Land, Walk for Justice

Published by kitoy under Opinion, Photojournalism

On October 10, at least 50 farmers from Sumilao, Bukidnon started their walk from Sumilao to Manila — a walk for land and justice. You could just imagine these farmers’ determination to walk from Mindanao to Metro Manila? It’s a tough journey considering the harsh weather conditions that they would (and have) encounter (ed) along the way.

Veteran photojournalist Jimmy Domingo was able to capture the farmers’ journey while they were still negotiating the highway in Samar and Leyte islands. I’d like you see these heartbreaking images — the farmers are really determined to reach Metro Manila and press justice…hoping to cultivate their own lands and say: “This is our land, our life.”

It only shows the failure of this government to address not just the land issue in Sumilao but as well as in many other parts of the country. Also, the government has failed to protect the rights of the farmers against the greedy landlords. Does the government really have to wait for the landless farmers to troop to Imperial Manila before they would give what’s really right for them?

Related links:

Running update

A Position Paper on the Sumilao Farmers’ Struggle for Access to their Land

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