From Women Farmers to Legal Warriors
Posted by awondemu at Jul
If JusticeMaker Rosselynn Jae Garcia de la Cruz had to name other agrarian reform lawyers in the Philippines, she would be stumped after listing a few names. Not because there doesn’t exist a network amongst agrarian reform lawyers but rather, there is a frightening scarcity of lawyers who specialize in this field. More than twenty […]
In Nilantagan, Justice Remains Elusive
Posted by awondemu at Jul
As the sun slowly makes its way towards the horizon, all is quiet in the village of Nilantagan. The pervading atmosphere is one of defeat and frustration as the farmers here face yet another hurdle in a land dispute struggle that has dragged on for many years. Nilantagan, a small coastal village in the Bondoc […]
Filipino Farmers Face Criminal Charges for Harvesting Coconuts
Posted by awondemu at Jul
In the Bondoc peninsula, where the municipalities of San Andres and San Narciso meet, it is easy to lose oneself in the serene scenery of the rolling hills filled with coconut trees. However, the lush greenery hides the turmoil within, as a bevy of farmers find themselves in a deadly struggle against an unbending landlord […]
The Landless and the Law
Posted by awondemu at Jun
Ten years ago, the tenants of Hacienda Villa Reyes in Quezon Province, Philippines lived a poor and destitute life. They spent their days riding buffaloes, harvesting coconuts and cultivating maize fields. Yet despite the fertile soil and their hard work, they could barely make ends meet. For every coconut harvested, they were forced to pay […]
Between David and Goliath, Stands a JusticeMaker
Posted by awondemu at Jun
Above: Rosselynn Jae Garcia de la Cruz (Jae), 2010 JusticeMaker fellow and agrarian reform lawyer It was about 3 in the afternoon when JusticeMakers Fellow and agrarian reform lawyer, Rosselynn Jae Garcia de la Cruz, and I arrived in Pangasinan, a province 170 km north of Manila for a farmers’ meeting. We have been on […]
