Filipino peasant women in defence of life
Ayupan, L.B.; Oliveros, T.G.
Development Dialogue 1992(1-2): 131-140
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0345-2328 PMID: 12286884 Document Number: 329512
The situation of peasant women in the Philippines has many characteristics familiar to those who have an interest in agriculture and food production in the Third World. There is a strong emphasis on cash crop production, primarily of sugar cane, bananas and pineapples. There is an uneven ownership of land, with Agrarian Reform Law (ARL) being implemented at a very slow pace, due to the opposition of landlords. The paper contends that the most serious problem facing women living close to the expanding urban conglomerates is the government's policy of appropriating agricultural land for the development of industry. This establishment of industries is also having a negative impact on the environment in two ways. Firstly, it is pushing peasants on to marginal land, threatening fragile ecosystems; and secondly, due to the lack of environmental protection, transnational companies are in many cases setting up toxic production plants. This paper considers the activities of the Peasant Women's Federation (AMIHAN), who are monitoring developments, as well as looking at the specific example of the Calabarzon project and the Green Revolution programme.