“President-elect Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino. Jr. should immediately install the agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) to their awarded lands and provide them security as provided under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) in the Catalino Noel Estate in Bayawan City, Negros Oriental.”

This call was made today by Negros Farmers Council (NFC) Coordinator Eugene Quirante as more than 15 ARBs at 6:00 am last Saturday, May 21, 2010 proceeded to install themselves in the 41-hectare portion of the Catalino Noel Estate in Sitio Calipawan, Brgy. Nangka, Bayawan City, Negros Oriental. The Catalino Noel Estate ARBs, holders of Certificate of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAs) with Title Number T-157, belong to the Alyansa sa Catalino Noel Farmworkers, ARBs and Claimants. NFC is a provincial-wide farmers group that is assisting the Catalino Noel Estate ARBs and is a partner organization of Centro Saka, Inc. (CSI), a farmer-based NGO.

The Catalino Noel Estate ARBs lamented that they had no choice but to occupy their awarded lands because of their concern over reported illegal logging activities in the area. Ka Evelia Sumalpong, spokesperson for the ARBs, said that, “we were forced to conduct self-installation to protect the remaining trees in the area from being cut. We also want to ascertain the perpetrators behind the cutting and sawing of the trees.”

“We suspect that the cutting of the trees was ordered by Michelle Noel-Duque, daughter of the late former landowner Catalino Noel and her husband Mark Anthony "Bonbon" Duque. This is because they have filed an appeal before the Office of the President and has since then provided 2 security guards armed with snub-nosed shotguns, pistols, and knives to patrol the entire area under CLOA Title Number T-157,” added Sumalpong.

According to the ARBs, reports from the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) and the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) indicate that they did not give any authorization to anyone to cut trees in the CARP-awarded area.

Quirante, on the other hand, called on the government to provide police or military security for the ARBs. Quirante explained that, “the ARBs fear for their lives as they have already been harassed by personnel working for the Noels and the Duques. They reported that the Noel and Duque workers have already dismantled their tents and have confiscated their banners. Sadly, Municipal Agrarian Reform Officer (MARO) refuses to help them. On the contrary, he reportedly threatened that the ARBs will be evicted from their lands and will be sent to jail.”

The ARBs are also urgently requesting before President-elect Aquino to fast-track the resolution of their case. “The DAR Secretary has already resolved this case in favor of the ARBs. It is only a matter for the President-elect to uphold it. His action regarding this issue will be a test case of his sincerity to help uplift the lives of the landless farmers and farm workers and if he truly supports the agrarian reform program,” mentioned CSI Executive Director Romeo Royandoyan.