The front-page photo of Muslim children, flanked by soldiers as they were waiting for food rations (Inquirer, 3/31/08), captured the sense of how the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo administration, lacking the political will to address the democratic demands of the people, including genuine land reform, is pauperizing Filipino children and citizens.

It seems the Arroyo administration believes that keeping the people hungry and pacifying them either through the Armed Forces of the Philippines, or with empty promises or fantastic accounts of economic growth are an effective way of clinging to power.

Should the people forever queue up for United Nations food? Should the people forever try their luck in one-in-13-million lotto odds? Should children forever hope to win in kiddie gag shows to earn some fame and money for the family?

The photo caption stated that three decades of fighting has displaced hundreds of thousands of villagers, disrupted farming and caused food shortages in Central Mindanao. But the rice crisis is basically a land problem in an agricultural country where there is no clear program on land distribution, subsidy, education and protection against landlord oligarchy. The land problem and militarization to counter people?s resistance are not only true in Mindanao but also in other regions of the country. How people struggle to educate and arm themselves is not only true among the Muslims of Mindanao; it is as true among Filipinos in other parts of the country.

It is not surprising. The rotten system makes us sick. We need to feed ourselves and save our sanity and culture. After all, if the poor majority of Filipinos, as well as the middle class families, do not speak and rise, they cannot have their rice and rights.

RAMON PATERNO, secretary general, Sining na Naglilingkod sa Bayan, sinagbayan@yahoo.com