Unlocking the potential of agrarian reform communities through multi-stakeholder action

Afew weeks ago, the Philippine Statistics Authority released data showing that agriculture’s share in the country’s GDP has fallen to less than 10 percent, even as more than a quarter of Filipinos depend on farming and fishing for their livelihoods.

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This paradox — that the sector feeding the nation remains among the poorest and most vulnerable — underscores the urgent need to support agrarian reform communities (ARCs) and farmers’ cooperatives.

It was against this backdrop that I joined the South Bondoc Peninsula Stakeholder Meeting last Aug. 26, 2025. Organized by the Peace and Equity Foundation (PEF) and the Kilusan para sa Repormang Agraryo at Katarunangang Panlipunan (KATARUNGAN), the gathering brought together farmers’ organizations, cooperatives, microfinance institutions, development organizations, and government agencies to map out a shared vision for farmers and communities in Quezon’s South Bondoc Peninsula.

For me, it was also a homecoming of sorts. I reconnected with former colleagues from the Philippine Business for Social Progress, including Ernesto Garilao, our former Executive Director and once Secretary of Agrarian Reform. Also present were development stalwarts like Roberto Calingo, PEF Executive Director; Danny Carranza, KATARUNGAN Secretary-General; Rafael Lopa, ASA Philippines Foundation President; Dolores Torres, CARD Bank Vice-Chairperson; and Lorenze Bañez, CARD NGO Chairperson. I was also pleased to meet Quezon Federation and Union of Cooperatives (QFUC) CEO Randy Fajardo and the representatives of several farmers’ groups and cooperatives: MAMACO, Nasalaan, Kasama sa Pag-unlad, Amuntay, Small Farmers, Pandan, Cabulihan Tala, San Vicente Farmers, Abuyon, SAMASANVITA, and SAMAMALA.

Seeing leaders from across organizations come together reminded me of the enduring spirit of collaboration that once animated the agrarian reform movement.

History of struggle