Mindanao plantation says it supports agrarian reform

In the Jan. 8 column of Rina Jimenez David, certain statements were made alleging Marsman Estate Plantation Inc.’s (Mepi) lack of genuine interest in and cooperation with the country’s efforts in attaining comprehensive land reform. Quite the contrary, Mepi has continually respected the rights of farmers to agrarian reform and has, in fact, taken concrete steps in ensuring that these rights are upheld properly.In support of land reform, Mepi donated all 800 hectares of its banana plantation in Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte, to farmer-agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) who work the land without paying a single centavo. Through the donation, the farmer-ARBs acquired the land at no cost to them or the government. At the same time, they receive benefits as landowners and as employees of Mepi through a leaseback agreement, an allowable agrarian venture agreement (AVA) under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. Pursuant to the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council’s (PARC) directive, these lease AVAs were signed between Mepi and each one of the individual farmer-ARBs. The lease AVAs were approved by the PARC on Aug. 24, 2002, under the administration of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

As employees and landowners, the farmer-ARBs receive salaries that greatly exceed the industry standard, and rental payments that are more than double the industry average. Moreover, these are reviewed and updated to reflect the current economic environment.

Mepi also provides benefits to farmer-ARBs and their families, as well as to its 1,800 non-ARB employees. Such benefits include education, health care and life insurance, retirement, and financial assistance. The farmer-ARBs also benefit from Mepi’s business efficiency and expertise in the industry. Overall, there is improvement in the quality of life of farmer-ARBs.

Despite these efforts, various legal controversies involving Mepi and a small fraction of ARBs still arose, one of which involved the breaking away of a small number of ARBs who then formed the Sto. Tomas Individual Farming Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative (Sifarbco).

Members of the Sifarbco illegally occupied 100 hectares of land leased by Mepi and caused damage to the plantation and disruption to the livelihood of the greater number of farmer-ARBs. The National Labor Relations Commission, Court of Appeals, and ultimately the Supreme Court upheld the termination of the 217 employees involved in the disruption of Mepi’s operations. This same group, which is led by farmer Rosauro Tapal Sr., and which comprises only 15 percent of the ARBs presently part of the AVA, wishes to be put in possession of the land that was conditionally donated to them, but without respecting the conditions of the donation or of the AVA. This would be against the wishes of the majority ARBs, who constitute around 81 percent, and their families, and would leave Mepi without the payment of just compensation.Mepi is hopeful that the pending issues before the PARC can be resolved to benefit the vast majority of the ARBs who are its partners in the Sto. Tomas plantation.

MARSMAN ESTATE PLANTATION INC.