Misamis Oriental guv sits down with Laguindingan farmers

THE camp out of Farmers from Laguindingan who are demanding just compensation from Ayala Land has earned a sit-down with Misamis Oriental Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano, Tuesday.

Members of the groups Tubajon Farmers’ Association and the Moog Farmers’ Association have been camping out at the Capitol grounds for two days already.

In an interview, Rogelio Plana of the Misamis Oriental Farmers’ Association said they received news from Emano that he wants to formally sit down in a dialogue with them to thresh out the issues they would be facing the Department of Agrarian Reform Adjudication Board later in this week. Plana’s group is the provincial formation of associations of marginalized farmers where both Tufa and Mofa are affiliated member-organizations.

“Kahapon (Monday) nagka istorya na ‘ta kang governor pero karon (Tuesday) hapon pa gyud ang pormal nga pagpakigstorya kaniya,” Plana told this paper.

For his part, Emano, through his spokesperson Nicole Managbanag, said he will forward the demands of the farmers

“Dili siya (Emano) gusto mag interfere nga wala pa miagi og gituki sa (local government unit concerned,” Managbanag said.

The Laguindingan farmers have been demanding for Ayala Land to honor and execute a Supreme Court order in 2013 to give them just compensation for the land they have been toiling on for years.

However, Efren Jaramillo, Tufa chairman, claimed representatives from Ayala Land paid the farmers P25,000 to P35,000 instead of the agreed compensation.

On Tuesday morning, Plana said they went to the offices of Ayala Land at CM Recto Avenue-Corrales Street, here to air their demands face-to-face with the executives of Ayala Land.

“Giadtoan namo ang opisina nila diri sa syudad pero nakakandado man. Sirado gyud wala’y among ma istorya didto,” Plana said. (cbc)