A group of farmers from CALABARZON have been camping outside the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) office on Elliptical Road, Quezon City for two days.
They call this protest action the "Martsa ng mabubukid para sa lupa, kapayapaan at hustsiya."
The group also highlights their opposition to what they claim is the failure of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), which they argue has long been causing hardships for farmers.
The group strongly opposes the Maharlika Investment Fund, which is being advocated by the administration of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.
According to Danilo Ramos, the chairperson of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) will suffer the same fate as the Coco Levy Fund, which burdened coconut farmers for decades and has not been adequately beneficial to them even after three generations of farmers.
"Narito po ang mga magsasaka para ipanawagan ang lupa para sa magsasaka, hindi sa dayuhan [at] hindi sa iilan, igalang ang karapatang pantao, palakasin ang lokal na produksyon ng pagkain sa ating bansa, at gayundin malakas naming hind sinasang-ayunan ang militarisasyon sa kanayunan, at ang MIF," Ramos told DZRH.
The group carries an effigy of President Bongbong Marcos on an airplane, which they call the "BT-35 Bongbong Terrorplano." They claim that the effigy symbolizes the 35 years of the government's CARP.
From the DAR office in Quezon City, the group will proceed to Mendiola in Manila, where they plan to hold a protest action.
