Case 1: “Dear Mediator”

The respondent is 77 years old, male, married with 7 children. When he was still young,

he was aware of how difficult life is, that is the reason he didn't go to school. The only thing he

knows is working in the fields, since the work of his both parents is farming, and the only

occupation in their area is nothing but farming, by that time it is the only source of their daily

income.

According to the respondent he started working in Hacienda, year 1970 up to 2004.

during these times, this is where he met his spouse. During the length of time, he worked at the

Hacienda, he learned various farming activities. According to him a lot of tasks are done within

the day, for example, transplanting seedlings, checking the crops for insects or beetles, checking

on their livestock, and many more. By that time, he was already a family man, his weekly salary

was enough and just enough for his family. There was nothing else to live for that's why he

persevered even though the sun was still, he continued to scrub so that they could have

something to eat.

In the year 2004, the farmers in Hacienda Luisita stop working including him. This is

also the beginning of their trial in life because there is no work. No income, which means it was

extremely difficult for them to lead a comfortable life. He went out of their place and tried to

find another job outside the Hacienda. By the grace of God, he found a job, mixing the soil in the

houses being built which is called a foreman. and he supported his family in the year 2004 to

2012 through his perseverance, this is where he brought his family to survive.

According to the respondent, the Department of Agrarian Reform has distributed to

farmers more than one hundred hectares of land in Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac owned by the

family of former president Benigno Aquino III. He also mentioned that up to one hundred and
fourteen farmers or agrarian reform beneficiaries received land from Hacienda Luisita. When he

finally got the land that they deserve, the joy of his family was incomparable because he said it

was the answer to their poverty. The respondent said that this land was a big help to their life

because of this they were able to build a home.

The land helped them a lot, the former hut house, now made of stone, and because of this

land they were able to buy appliances at home that they didn't have before. They also founded a

machine that was use in the farm. And the happiest thing they achieved because of the help of

this land, was that their youngest child graduated from college. According to the respondent the

money used here was their income from their crops worth 170,000 pesos good for 4 months.

The year passed, the savings ran out, the children got married and had families of their

own. the only money coming in is his pension from SSS worth 4,000 pesos. Therefore, the

harvest has been sluggish due to rice pests and lack of plant inputs such as soil fertilizers and

drugs against rice pests. He had thought of selling the land, but his children stopped him. On the

other hand, according to the respondent he government's free fertilizer programs fall short for

four months of soil care because the fertilizer is just 36 kilograms, this 36-kilogram fertilizer was

not enough to take care a land for 4 months. According to him, the government also provided

farm machinery for free, and it was given free to the group's cooperatives. But if you are just an

ordinary farmer and you borrow it, you will pay. The only request of the responder is that the

higher office will implement an order that it will be free to use as long as there is a proper

process before you can borrow it.

In the middle of the interview, the respondent had no other request except that his

complaint would reach the government so that they could somehow be helped. Local farmers
like him who contribute to the basic and essential needs of the countrymen should be heard, he

concluded.

Case 2: “The Mortal Enemy”

The respondent is 78 years old, female, married with 5 children. She started working in

Hacienda when she was 18 years old, here she met her husband, but unfortunately her partner

was not included in the master list, so she was not given a land. On the other hand, what the

respondent does in hacienda was cutting sugarcane and grazing cows and goats, what they do

there every day is different that's why they call themselves “all around”.

According to respondent she worked in hacienda almost half of her life, because of her

perseverance to work, she was able to support her family together with her husband . While

she was cutting sugarcane, her husband was busy operating farm tractors. This is the source of

their income until 2004, because this was the time when they stopped working in hacienda. Here

they were tested by extreme hardships in life.

By that time when they lost their jobs, her husband ventured outside while she sold street

food and peddled potholders that she sewed from the laces of the tailors in the town, she bought

them for a small amount and she sells it house to house under the sun, just walking. This saved

them from their daily expenses. With their little savings, they were able to send their two

children in school and the other three needed to stop in studying and decided to look for extra

work in their neighbors or in their barangays.

Year 2019, according to the respondent, the Department of Agrarian Reform has

distributed to farmers more than one hundred hectares of land in Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac.

Apart from the land that they got separately, they also received a lot for them to build their home.

the farmer on their land is her husband and her son who lives with them. They planted it with
rice and corn, since the couple got two plots of land, half with rice and the other half with corn.

Sometimes it's just rice and vice versa.

The land is a big help to them, so every harvest season, they earn 120,000 pesos and this

will last them 4 months, she also gives money to her children to supplement the cost of educating

her grandchildren. And one of his sons, who is married and has a child, returned to her, and

settled there to increase the partner of her husband in tending the land. Because according to the

respondent it takes 4 months to care for rice before harvesting it, the same with corn.

According to the respondent aside from self-cultivation and harvest. She said that the

Department of Agriculture has not abandoned them because until now they are still being given

assistance, such as fertilizer, seedlings and other things that can be planted and cash aid of 5,000

pesos, but the aid is only once a year. Apart from this, the Department of Agriculture also had

seminars on how to properly care for crops and also seminars on how to operate the machines

used in the field. Because of this with the programs of the Department of Agriculture, they grew

their land even more and resulted in a good income.

According to the respondent, as time passed, their lives were not always at the top. The

only money coming in is his pension from SSS worth 4,000 pesos. they also encountered

problems such as typhoons that destroyed their crops. But their worst enemy according to her is

the black bugs that destroy their crops, because it's so small, you wouldn't think that when you

wake up the next day, almost half of the crops that were perfectly fine yesterday are ruined.

According to her, the pest attack, when not properly controlled, can reportedly cause losses of up

to 65 percent involving 10 adult rice black bugs per hill. But still, they remain positive in life,

and those who were not killed by the black bug are overtaken and sell it to the market.
 She suggested that the government should have a free anti pesticide to all the farmers of

Hacienda. There are times they are facing unexpected deluges because they are not in control of

what will happen. “Hopefully, the Department of Agriculture could help us control the rice black

bug because the one that we are using to control black bug is not effective,” she concluded.

Case 3: “Farming is Who I Am”

The respondent is 57 years old, male, married with 4 children. He started working in

Hacienda in a year 1981 – 2004. When he was young, this was his first job, his work in the

hacienda is cutting sugarcane and sometimes he is the one who grazes different animals. Here he

also found his wife. Until they got married and made this their main source of income so they

could support their children.

According to the respondent because of working in the hacienda they were able to send

their children to from elementary school to high school. On the other hand, because of the

change before the season, sometimes they don't have income because they don't have work in the

hacienda, because it rains. According to him, every time it rains they were given a food and some

money and the next salary will be deducted for what they spent during the rainy season.

In a year 2004, working in the hacienda stopped, meaning no work, no income. the

couple has no choice to find work outside. According to the respondent, he was employed as a

construction worker who earns 250 pesos a day and this is what they spend in a daily basis while

his wife just stays at home to take care of their children. The beauty here, he said, was that no

one stopped his children from studying. But when they went to college, they could no longer

support them because going to college in those days had a tuition fee.

According to the respondent, the Department of Agrarian Reform has distributed to

farmers more than one hundred hectares of land in Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac. Apart from the
land that they got separately, they also received a lot for them to build their home. They planted

it with rice and corn, since the couple got two plots of land, half with rice and the other half with

corn. Sometimes it's just rice and vice versa, and he planted it himself.

He said the land given by the Department of Agrarian Reform was a great blessing,

because of this he was able to graduate his two children from college. and bought three

motorcycles and household appliances. he earns a lot here because his wife was also given land,

never mind that he farms two lands. he farms it for 4 months and every time he harvests, he earns

235 thousand, and this is what they will use for the next 4 months because he will start planting

rice again.

According to the respondent, before he achieved the life they enjoy now, he went through

many trials. especially in planting rice, because he said he was unable to attend the program of

Department of Agriculture seminars regarding the care of crops. Therefore, he himself who

persevered how the process on farming and planting rice. He made many mistakes and

sometimes his income was very little, but he did not give up. Even though he didn't know how to

plant, the soil itself taught him. He learned from his experiences, and he loves planting it was his

life, he added. He has to do a lot of work every day. He always gets the early start of the day to

complete his work in time. This becomes his habit. He goes to the fields early in the morning. He

spends his whole day in the field taking care of his crops. But the income is not always high,

sometimes their income only goes to pesticides and fertilizers in rice fields. and they are losing

money. the fertilizer provided by Department of Agriculture is not enough to be used in four

months. So, he puts out his own money for his crops, his only request is to increase the amount

of fertilizer given to them so that they can somehow save even in small amount.
 According to him, he thought about selling it, but he always chose not to. because it will

benefit his family until his grandchildren. His children tell him to sell it, but he insists not to sell

it. According to him, even if you have problems, at least you have land that you can plant, if you

can't grow rice, you can plant plants that are easy to take care of. don't get into the habit of

complaining, you just really need a positive mind in life he added. “We are very lucky to have

been given a land, it’s hard, I'm not joking. But I love farming, this is who I am, you just have to

be strategic and do not give up” he said.

Case 4: “The Priceless Treasure”

The respondent is 58 years old, female, married with 5 children. She started working in

Hacienda in a year 1980 – 2004. This was her first job when she was a child, because her parents

also work here. While she was studying at college, this was her part time job, whenever she was

off school, she devoted her time to the hacienda, what she does here is to clean and cut sugarcane

and sometimes he also grazes animals.

According to the respondent she stopped studying and focused only on working in the

hacienda and so that her younger siblings can go to school. This is also where she met her

husband. And eventually formed their own family. They both work in the hacienda, and this is

their main source of income for their daily life expenses. And because of the hacienda, they were

able to send their children to school. Because according to her, their children were given a stub, a

small piece of paper and this this will serve as their payment for the jeep on their way to school

instead of paying money.

When the time came, when work at the hacienda stopped, their children stopped studying

in high school and chose to look for work outside. When her children were working, he was

given money from their salary to start a small “sari-sari” store in their house. Because her
husband got sick, she couldn't work outside, so their small shop served as their main source of

income. This served as their weapon to continue through the hardships of life.

According to the respondent, the Department of Agrarian Reform has distributed to

farmers more than one hundred hectares of land in Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac. Apart from the

land that they got separately, they also received a lot for them to build their home. his children

managed the land and planted rice and corn. the problem here is that they have no knowledge of

farming. She is grateful because the Department of Agrarian has a free seminar on how to plant

rice and how to operate the machines that will be used in the crops.

Her children continued to plant and take care of the land and they earned 200 thousand in

one harvest. and their income will serve as their expenses for 4 months. Because the next harvest

is after another 4 months, but the income is not always that big, sometimes they lose money and

get into debt. That's why her children are thinking of selling it, but she didn't want to agree

because according to her it was their wealth until death. And they can even pass it on to their

grandchildren. Apart from their own cost of the land, according to her Department of Agrarian

has not stopped giving free fertilizer for their crops, but it is not enough for four months so they

will spend and will continue to spend, she said the benefit is also theirs, so their foundation is

only sacrifice. But she hopes that the Department of Agriculture will hear them to increase the

fertilizers they receive, the one that should be fertilized within 4 months because farmers like

them should be heard by the government, she added.

Their life has been smooth but because her husband was sick, her children are still

thinking of selling it. She was appealing this decision because when the money is sold and used

up, where will they be taken from. According to her there are businessmen who buy their land

worth millions of pesos, but she didn't budge because she said their land was worthless because
they would benefit from it for life. So, she encourages others not to sell their land because it is

their real treasure in life, she concluded.

Case 5: “Seasonal”

The respondent is 62 years old, male, widowed with 3 children. Here he met his spouse

who is now gone. He started working as a day laborer at the Hacienda in the year 1978 - 2004.

This was his family's main source of income. this is also their source to send his three children to

school. his work in the hacienda is cutting sugar canes and the elders teach him how to care for

the crops and sometimes he comes along to operate the machines.

During the times when working in the hacienda stopped in 2004, they had no other jobs,

meaning no daily expenses. Life was so hard; he looks for a job and became a truck driver who

traveled with pipes around Tarlac so that his children can continue studying. His wife sells food,

and she sells it to the neighbors using her tribike she goes around the barangay so that their

children have money for school, because of their efforts they both graduated their children from

high school.

According to the respondent, the Department of Agrarian Reform has distributed to

farmers more than one hundred hectares of land in Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac. Apart from the

land that they got separately, they also received a lot for them to build their home. The land they

got that served as their main source of income was planted with rice and corn.

According to him, the life of a farmer is very tough. He works very hard day and night in

all seasons. During summer, he works under the heat of the sun. During rainy season, he gets wet

while ploughing the field, he carries on his hard work in spite of the dull and cold weather. he

life of a farmer is much dependent upon forces of nature. For agriculture, adequate monsoon is

required. If the rainfall is adequate, the agricultural output would be good. However, inadequate
rainfall and long-spell of scarcity of water may result into drought situation. As a result,

agriculture may get negative affected and there may be acute shortage of food leading to

famines. A lot of tasks are done within the day, for example, transplanting seedlings, checking

the crops for insects or beetles, checking on their livestock, and many more, he added.

With unpredictable market, he earns money by selling his crops. He remains happy if the

crops are good. But, if the crops fail, then his life becomes miserable. His family suffers even if

there is abnormal increase in production homogeneously at all places. In such cases, the selling

price of the crops goes down and the excess crops get wasted. sometimes I want to sell my

produce to National Food Authority, but they get it for a low price, so I prefer to sell it to the

traders.

He says farming is good, but you should be ready to lose the money you used. that's why

I'm grateful to the Department of Agriculture because somehow, they provide free fertilizer for

our farmers. Life on the farm may sound really tiring and full of effort. But I am satisfied and

fulfilled at the end of the day because I provide food for families around the world. With my

hard work, I hope the government will listen to me and give justice to the price of the rice, he

concluded.