Meaningful death of a farmer leader

Vic Fabe, Pakisama chair and Alyansa Agrikultura vice president for Luzon, died unexpectedly last March 2.

Many may not know it, but his was a meaningful death.

To countless small farmers, fisherfolk and rural women, he died partly victorious. He was still fighting for other victories that would secure social justice and higher incomes for the rural underprivileged when he died.

Fabe has since become a model to follow if we wish to achieve inclusive growth.

Fabe was a small farmer from Tabogon, Calauag, Quezon. Though he finished BS Marine Transportation from PMI College in Manila, he decided to go back and work on his small farm. He grew various crops, following the spirit of the commendable Palayamanan program of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

He grew rice, coconut, eggplant and calamansi. He used his learnings from his colleagues and training workshops to implement a sustainable, integrated and diversified farming system. But though he progressed in his small farm, he generously spent much of his time leading farmers, fisherfolk, and rural women to get social justice and higher incomes.

Coconut levy

Fabe was Chair of the Coconut Industry Farm Movement (COIR) and the Coconut Cluster of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC).

He believed that not only the coconut levy cash, but also its assets, should go back to benefit the levy’s real owners—the coconut farmers. He strongly opposed the plan by some government technocrats to privatize the levy’s assets, such as the coconut oil mills. This is because it would mean possibly selling these assets to unscrupulous individuals. They would then get the large profits from the value-added coming from these assets, instead of these profits going to the coconut farmers. It could also mean using the privatization revenue for purposes other than benefiting the farmers.

Last year, Fabe was a key organizer of the 71-day march from Davao to Malacañang. The objective was to secure an Executive Order from the President that would place all the coconut levy funds into a trust fund solely for coconut farmers. Though the commitment was made, it could not be implemented because the Supreme Court had not yet issued the required “entry of judgment.”

Fabe was not satisfied. He marched with others to the Supreme Court and successfully secured the “entry of judgment” on Dec. 10.

Last Feb. 25, at the 3rd National Coconut Farmers Conference, Fabe asked why there was still no Executive Order, especially since the “entry of judgment” had been given two months and 15 days earlier. Do the farmers have to march again to get the promised Executive Order?

Agrarian reform

Before he died, Fabe avidly worked for the Catholic Bishops’ stand on Congress passing immediately the two Agrarian Reform extension bills. As early as May 2009, he had gone on a hunger strike with Bishop Broderick Pabillo during the campaign for the CARPer law passage.

Though passed, CARPer did not meet its objective of giving support services to agrarian reform beneficiaries. This resulted in many becoming poorer than before because they lost the landowners’ support services. Fabe believed agrarian reform was not just economics, but also social justice. Without this reform with support services, the rich landowners would become richer at the expense of the poor farmers.

At the same time, Fabe rejected the extreme left’s position that land owners should not be compensated. He believed that social justice should be given to all partners of development. Unfortunately, Fabe died before his two key advocacies on the coconut levy and genuine agrarian reform were achieved.

Road ahead

Though Fabe did not expect to die so soon, he took steps to nurture younger leaders who would pursue social justice and higher incomes for the rural underprivileged.

Most prominent is Rene Penas, Pakisama vice president and head of the Sumilao farmers who successfully got their land. The mantle of Fabe’s leadership, meanwhile, was inherited by Rene Cerilla, a very close friend and associate.

We must encourage and develop, not discourage and kill, farmer and fisherfolk leaders like Fabe. He lived his life fighting for social justice and the economic upliftment of small farmers, fisherfolk and rural women. He took care of the future by nurturing leaders who would carry on his mission for the country. He died fully involved in the struggle for inclusive growth, inspite of his failing health. If his death inspires the leaders he nurtured to continue and win his advocacies, then Fabe’s death may become even more meaningful.

(The author is chair of Agriwatch, former Secretary for Presidential Flagship Programs and Projects, and former Undersecretary for Agriculture, Trade and Industry. For inquiries and suggestions, email [email protected] or telefax (02) 8522112).