Land Rights for Filipino Women

The View from Below

by Jeanne Frances I. I& vest Wind). A small group of wom- and networking nationally and inter-
and Rosalinda Pineda- en's rights advocates,with the help of nationally. Its president, Trinidad
allies in government, also lobbied the Domingo, is well-respected in the
government for the protection of broad women's movement. She was
women's land rights in the uplands. nominated to be a sectoral repre-
La lutte pour b dmit h ka tow dcs Once the legal and implementation sentative in Congress by many wom-
f;mmrr dr communautc's twraks lcs dcseworb for land distribution had en's groups. She currently sits as a
been set, groups Commissionerin the National Com-
like the govern- mission on the Role of Filipino
Itcallcdfor genuine land rejorm and nationalist ment's National Women and heads the National Peas-
industriulization whihfieusing on specijcpeaant On ant Council.
the Role of Fili- Amihan was established in late
women i demand, namely: recognition of their pino Women and 1986. It called fbr genuine land re-
right to own kznd priority to widows and singh the Women in form and nationalist industrializa-
Development fo- tion whiie focusing on specific peas-
m o t h in h d distribution programs. cal ~ o i n tits orean-
'2
ant women's demands, namely: rec-
ized in various de- ognition of their right to own land,
Philippines est t d s rilcente et elk partments,includingthe Department priority to widows and single moth-
comprcnd lcs groupes trJs divmifils ofAgrarian Reform (DAR), came into ers in land distribution programs,
q u i t r a v a i l l n t t p a ~ i s i ~ m m e n t the picture (1110 et aL 1994). This just wages for women agricultural
l'un dc lhu& CAarticksepenche sur articie focuses on the experiences of workers, protection from sexual har-
dnuc dr ces otganismes dcfmmes qui, two women's organizations and some assment, and extension of maternity
h cause dc h r
s ont obtcnu une results of the implementation of the benefits and day care services. Its
politiquc comprihmive dc rilfirma Philippine Comprehensive Agrarian attitude towards the state is indicated
agraires awe Philippines. Reform Policy. by the fact that Amihan has not ac-
tively sought affiliation and working
The call for land rights for rural The peasant women's groups relationships with government agen-
women is a Grly recent one, not even cies, preferring to keep its independ-
a decade old. It first reverberated The advocacy and struggle for ence and to encourage peasant women
within organizations of peasant women's land rights was led by to harness their own resources for
women, and was echoed in the coali- KaBaPa and Amihan. KaBaPa development (Taguiwalo and
tions they formed together with peas- emerged from the peasant movement Miralao).
ant men. Women's equal rights to based mainly in Central Luzon. It Both KaBaPa and Amihan were
ownership of the land as well as to was founded by 2,000 grassroots active in the Congress for a People's
equd shares of the farm produce women in 1975. Its goals are equal- Agrarian Reform (CPAR), a broad coa-
found recognition in the "people's ity, development, and peace as enun- lition of peasant and rural workers'
agrarian reform program." Insistent ciated by the United Nations. It cur- organizations which existed from
pressure from nongovernmend or- rently has 28,000 members and re- 1987 to 1993. During its existence,
ganizations (NGOS)and people's or- mains mainly rural based. It has reor- CPAR was responsible for launching
ganizations, resulted in RepublicAct ganized its membership into specific ThePeopbiAgrarian W r mProgram
G657 otherwise known as the Com- sectors depending on their tenurial which stipulated that:
prehensive Agrarian Reform Law statusand livelihood source. One such
(W) of 1988. sector is the Katipunan ng All women members of the agri-
The strugglefor rural women's land KirbabaihangMagbubukid (Associa- cultural labour force must be
tights involved different groups, tion of Peasant Women) where the guaranteed and assured qd
sometimes working independently issue ofland rights is a strongpoint of rights to ownershipofland, quaJ
from each other (1110 1988). At the advocacy. KaBaPa, after almost two sharesof the firm's produce, and
forefront have been peasant women's decades of existence, has outstanding representation in the people's
organizations-principally the achievements in the field of educa- councils andother decision-m&-
Kirtapunan ng Bagong Pilipina (Asso- tion and training, community-based ing bodies. (Chapter VII, Spe-
ciation of the New Filipina) or services and projects (includingcon- cial Concerns, Section 1, Rural
KaBaPa, and Amihan (literally,Har- sumer and production cooperatives), Women)

114 CANADIAN WOMAN STUDIESlLES CAHIERS DE U FEMME

 CPAR engaged in intensive lobby- lion hectares of public alienable and women in decision-making bodies,
ing coupled with mass mobilization disposable lands as well as Integrated such as the Provincial Agrarian Re-
for agrarian reform, establishing a Social Forestry Program areas to be form Coordinating Committee, has
campaign towards the legislation of distributed by the Department of likewise imperiled women's chances
an alternative Peopk? Agrarian Re- Environment and Natural Resources. of gaining control over land. The
firm W .Unfortunately, the cam- In addition, 3.8 million hectares of experience of Amihan with local DAR
paign did not prosper. There was not private agricultural lands and reset- offices underscores this point.
enough push from the ground. After tlement areas are to be distributed by
severalyearsofoperations,cph~folded DAR. Between 1987 and 1992, DAR ...Amihanmembersin Mindoro
up in 1993, its members agreeing to has, in fict, already distributed a total attempted to occupy 110 hec-
part ways amicably in recognition of of 1.07 million hectares, or 28 per tares of abandoned land, hoping
irreconcilabledifferences in approach, cent of its scope. to m& it productive. But right
principally as regards relations with Two land-ownership instruments away, women were given the
government. Nevertheless, as indi- arc distributed by ~ m u n d ethe-
r runaround by government offi-
vidual organizations within and out- ian reform program: emancipation cials when thcy tried to get data
side CPAR, both KaBaPa and Amihan patents and certificate of land owner- about the land thcy occupied.
have long experience in advocating ship agreements. As of 1992, DARhad The women were even asked to
and struggling for women's land distributed about 363,277 hectares present video documentation
rights. of agricultural land only ten per cent that they really were farmers.
of which have gone to women. This In the Boncoc Peninsula, on
Experiences with the Agrarian land distribution is covered by the other hand, tenant farmers
Reform Program 270,096emancipationpatents, eleven belonging to an Amihan chapter
per cent of which have been issued to are still trying to have a 166-
Groups, like KaBaPa, that wish to women beneficiaries. With 18 per hectare hacienda tilled in their
engagethe government in their strug- cent of all certificate of land owner- names under the CARP compul-
gle for women's rights can invoke ship agreements being awarded to sory acquisition scheme. Here
legal provisions that seek to protect women, relatively greater numbers of again, government officialshave
women's claims to land. The Philip- women have benefitted from these not been fullycooperative.When
pine Constitution recognizesthe fun- agreements than from emancipation the hacienda was declared eligi-
damental equalityofwomen and men patents. Nonetheless, women con- ble for compulsory acquisition
before the law. The principle of gen- tinue to receive a lower share of total and redistribution to farmers,
der equality is likewise affirmed in land distributed. members of the Amihan trooped
new codes and laws. After intensive Despite claims to gender equality, to the Municipal Agrarian Re-
lobbying by different women's therefore, laws have been unable to form Office to be registered as
groups, the New Family Cod af- protect or promote women's rights to beneficiaries. An amazed officer
firmed women's rights to own prop- land. KaBaPa has pointed to a disa- queried: "Where are your hus-
erty and to contract employment and bling provision that limits women bands?" The women angrily re-
credit without their husbands' con-
sent (1110 n al. 1994). Meanwhile, in
the uplands, Administrative Order
No. 4, Series1991 of the Depart-
'What? the matter, aren't we entithd to bencfit
ment of Environment and Natural from kznd reform? We work on the kznd ourselves,
Resources, grants stewardship cer- and shou(tlr a major part of the b u r h when
tificates to land under the Integrated
Social Forestry Program to both expenses have to be paid. "
spouses, making wife and husband
co-stewards of the land. A recent law,
the Women in Deuehpmmt and Na- beneficiariesonlyto "qualifiedwomen plied: "What's the matter, aren't
tion-Building Act, provides equal ac- members of the agricultural labour we entitled to benefit from land
cess to resources, including credit force," a phrase that has been inter- reform? We work on the land
and training. These laws, however, preted to mean actual tillers. Trini- ourselves, and shoulder a major
have yet to be fully implemented. dad Domingo ask: what about the part of the burden when expenses
Under the Comprehensive Agrar- women who manage and do farm have to be paid." So far, only two
ian Reform Policy, a total of 10.3 work other than tilling? This and Amihan members-both wid-
million hectares of land is pro- similar questions continue to plague ows--have been allowed to reg-
grammed for distribution over a ten women's land rights activists. ister under the program.
year period. This consists of 6.5 mil- The low level of representation of (Oliveros l99 1)

VOLUME 15, NUMBERS 2 & 3

 KaBaPa has had one test case for some male leaders still insist on h- Perez. Women in A~Iruurc:The
claiming women's land rights. This ily-based distribution through the Philippine Ca.u. Quezon City: In-
involves some 350 hectares of former male head of household (01'lveros stitute of Philippine Culture,
sugarcane land in Lubao, Pampanga, 1994). AtencodeManilaUniversity, 1994.
which was abandoned by absentee As the stories of the two peasant Katipunan ng Bagong Pilipina
landlords who had gone abroad. The women's groups show, the struggle (KaBaPa) (n.d.). Peminismo at
former sugar workers cultivated the goes on in many arenas. In claiming Kdabaihan sa kianayunan. Docu-
land, planted vegetables, corn, and their share of the land, rural women ment of KaBaPa.
finally rice. They were harassed by not only have to deal with landown- Oliveros, Tess, Amihan Executive
the military, and some peasant lead- ers and the state, but also with the Director, College of Social Work
ers were killed or tortured. The men men who refuse to recognize their and Community Development,
began to lie low. It was the women rights. Depending on the context, University of the Philippines. Per-
who pursued the struggle to daim the tactics can range from confrontation sonalInterview. 5 December 1994.
land which reached a high point in to negotiation and persuasion. At all Oliveros, Tcss. "Organizing Peasant
1988. The women leaders held dia- times, however, vigilance is required. Women: Confronting Power
logues with DAR officials and were Vigilance does not stop with writing Where Power Lies." Laya Feminist
even referred to the Department of women's right to land into law, but Quarter& 2(4) (1991).
National Defense, then headed by continues with ensuring that wom- Philippines (Republic), Department
the current President Fidel Ramos. en's rights to land translate to deeds of Agrarian Reform (n.d.). G m -
Both the DAR central o a c e and the and effective control of the land. prehensive Land Wrm Program.
Supreme Court decided in the wom- Quezon City: Department of
en's favour, saying they should be Jeanne Frances I. Illo L the coordinator Agrarian Reform.
recognized as leaseholders who have of the Womeni Studies Program of the SubcommitteeonAgriculture,Agrar-
first claim to the land. The problem Institute ofPhilippine Cukure, Atcneo ian Reform, Environment and
was that the landowners r e h d to dr Manila University. Natural Resources (n.d.). "Input
give the women this recognition.They to the Country Report for the
were thus forced to deposit their share Rosalinda Pine&-Ofineo is the coor- Fourth World Conference on
ofthe hannst in the bank The women dinator of tbe Women and Dcvclop- Women." Typescript.
are confident,however, that they will ment Program of the Col.& of Social Taguiwalo, Judy and Jean Mirho.
finallyget the land and when they do, Work and Community Development, "Two Types of Women's Organi-
they will make sure that women's University of the Philippines. zations: Homemakers and Activ-
names will appear as owners, either ists." condensed by Daisy Valerio.
jointly or separately. Laya Feminist Quarterly 2(4)
The problems concerning land (1993).
rights do not reside only with the Amihan.Amihan Praymcr,Ang Tunuy
state andlor its functionaries. Some M Repormung Agray: Binhi ng
are rooted in gender relations within Kalayaan ng Kababaihang
the family. Amihan has pointed out Magbubukid. Metro Manila:
that the call for recognition of the Amihan, 1988.
women's right to land must be com- Congress for a People's Agrarian Re-
plemented by a call to democratize form (CPAR). "The People's Agrar-
the family (Oliveros 1991). Hus- ian Reform Program." Adocument
bands' resistance, monopoly over adopted by CPAR, Quczon City, 3 1
decision-making,and sometimeseven May 1987.
violent assertion of male power Domingo, Trinidad, KaBaPa Presi-
through wife beating, constit& for- dent and Commissioner of the
midable obstacles to women's em- National Commission on the Role
powerment. of Filipino Women. Personal In-
Amiban leaders believe that the key terview. G December 1994.
is organizing and raising the aware- 1110, Jeanne Frances I., ed. G e n h
ness of men as well as women. Some- Issues in Rural Development: A
times, they complain, organized men Workshop Report. Quczon City:
feel threatened and prevent women Institute of Philippine Culture,
organizers from doing their work. Ateneo de Manila University, 1988.
They also have differenceswith male- 1110, Jeanne Frances I. with Neila R
dominated peasant organizationsover Marquez, Yasmin Lee G. Arpon, Reprinted with permimion of the
how land will be distributed because Yasmin S. Gatal, and Joannah G. IWTC. W t : Grace Jung

CANADIAN WOMAN STUDIESILES CAHIERS DE LA FEMME