On the eve of Presidential Decree No. 27 signing, a substantial gathering of fervent rural workers organized a protest demonstration Friday (20 Oct 2023) at Chino Roces Bridge (Mendiola) in Manila, brandishing oversized banners as they vehemently criticized the historical mandate from the Marcos Sr. era.
Representing various farmer groups, the protesters voiced their concerns about issues such as land grabs, injustice, and food scarcity, all of which coincided with the 51st anniversary of the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s administration declaration of PD 27 51 years ago.
Issued on October 21, 1972, PD 27 granted emancipation to all tenant farmers laboring on privately owned agricultural lands dedicated to the cultivation of rice and corn, regardless of whether they worked on a large landed estate or not. This emancipation was facilitated through the establishment of a sharecropping or lease-tenancy system.
Despite its initial intentions, the law’s inherent limitations hindered its ability to genuinely redistribute land to impoverished farmers. Consequently, PD 27 ultimately fell short of delivering the social justice it aimed to provide to these disadvantaged peasants. It is, therefore, unsurprising that they choose to commemorate this event through a series of protests and extended marches to Mendiola.
(Report and photography by Benjamin Cuaresma/ai/mnm)
