Land grabbing at Hacienda Looc

blame Henry Sy of SM Land, Intl

groups said

MANILA, Philippines Delegates of an international solidarity mission blame Henry Sy, owner of SM Land Inc.
and the richest man in the country, of land grabbing at Hacienda Looc in Nasugbu, Batangas.
The mission, composed of delegates from the United Church of Canada, Aliansi Gerakan Reforma Agraria (AGRA
Indonesia), researcher from Japan and Belgium, the Malaysia-based Pesticide Action Network Asia Pacific, Asian
Peasant Coalition (APC), Kasama-TK (Peasant Alliance in Southern Tagalog), Samahang Magbubukid sa Batangas
(Peasant Alliance in Batangas), Farmers Development Center (Fardec) based in Central Visayas, Ibon International,
Promotion for Church Peoples Response and Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), was held February 11 to
15.
The land grabbing, land use conversions and large scale tourism projects resulted to landlessness and food
insecurity. The biggest real estate developers in the country, such as the Fil-Estate, Manila South Coast
Development Corporation (MSDC) and SM Land Inc., in collusion with various government agencies, have made
their land grabbing activities appear legal and legitimate, stated Danilo Ramos, KMP and APC secretary general.
Willy Marbella, KMP deputy secretary general, explained that Government policies, including bogus agrarian
reform programs like the Presidential Decree 27 and the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), have
denied Hacienda Looc farmers of their rights to the land. Real-estate developers, using the CARP itself, managed to
exempt Hacienda Looc from agrarian reform.

According to Armado Lemita, spokesperson of the Ugnayan ng Mamamayan Laban sa Pangwawasak ng Kalupaan
sa Hacienda Looc (Umalpas-Ka), during the early part of the martial law regime, some 1,282.98 hectares of
Hacienda Looc were placed under Presidential Decree No. 27. Emancipation patents (EP) were awarded to 831
farmer-beneficiaries.
Although the sale and/or transfer of those lands covered by agrarian reform is strictly prohibited by law, legal
maneuvers were done by land brokers and real estate developers to legitimately take back the rights of the farmers to
till their land, remarked Axel Pinpin of the KASAMA-TK.
Umalpas-Ka said both the Bellevue Properties Inc (BPI) and MSDC are owned by business tycoon Henry Sy of SM
Land Inc. The SM Land Inc. has developed the coastal area of Barangay Papaya into Hamilo Coast, a leisure
destination which features recreational activities.
Marbella revealed that in a dialogue with the officials of the Department of Agrarian Reform ( DAR) on February
16, they said that based on records, only 94 hectares of land have so far been approved for land-use conversion.
And SM Land Inc. is developing more than 5,000 hectares of land.
In a public forum on Feb. 17, Ipang, a member of Indonesian peasant group Agra, said land-use conversion has
affected the livelihood of farmers and fisherfolk.

Testimonies in Barangay Bulihan stated that the people used to have enough food for their family. Before the
MSDC came to the Hacienda Looc, its plains, valleys and mountainous areas are devoted to agriculture. The rice
land can produce 70-100 cavans of palay (unhusked rice) per cropping and mostly the farmers can produce rice in
two to three cropping seasons When they plant, they will have something to harvest but its difficult these days.,
said IPang of the Aliansi Gerakan Reforma Agraria (AGRA), a militant peasant group in Indonesia, during the
public forum on February 17.
Marbella said that in a dialogue with DENR, the government agency vowed to conduct investigations on
environmental compliance of developers.
The international groups that held the fact-finding mission has recommended a stop in the ongoing land-use
conversion Hacienda Looc.
The recommendations of the ISM are as follows:
1. The local government has the primary responsibility to closely study or conduct an Environmental Impact
Assessment (EIA) on whatever applications of reclassification and conversion amidst the existence of Executive
Order (EO 647) and Presidential Proclamation (PP) 1520.
2. Conduct series of dialogues to address the issues and concerns affecting the farmers and fisher folks.
3. Provide us documents like comprehensive land use plan of Nasugbu, reclassification ordinance of 1,219 hectare
farmlands, among others.
4. Passage of an ordinance protecting the farmers, fisher folks and communities from threats, harassments and
intimidations of security forces specifically on the land they till and occupy. More so, an ordinance protecting
communities from any military and civil- military operations and making or using public structures and private
dwellings as military detachments.
5. Immediately conduct investigations and prosecute the security forces and 733
rd
CGPAF that commits grave
human rights violations.
6. Stop land use conversions and large scale tourism projects on agricultural lands resulting to landlessness and
food insecurity.
7. The DAR should conduct comprehensive review on the agrarian cases at Hacienda Looc and conduct
dialogues with regards to the human rights violations perpetuated by the security forces, 733
rd
CGPAF, 16
th
IB and
Philippine Air Force.
8. The DENR should immediately investigate and stop the infrastructure and eco-tourism project of Fil-Estate,
MSDC, SM Land Inc., Megaworld and other developer in Hacienda Looc.
9. Recognize the rights of the farmers to own the land they have been cultivating for more than three decades and
implement genuine land reform program.
For complete details of the executive summary report, please visit www.asianpeasant.org #.
Reference:

Danilo Ramos (APC), +639-477944987
Ipang (AGRA), +628-1994474545
Wilfredo Marbella (KMP), +639-153667290
Axel Pinpin (KASAMA-TK), +639-153004200
Armando Lemita (UMALPAS-KA)), +639-105521647