LUCENA CITY, Philippines: Farmers in Sariaya, Quezon, who lost their land following the revocation of their Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOAs), have turned to the Holy Week tradition of reading the “Pasyong Mahal” to draw strength as they continue their fight to reclaim their farms.
“Their observance of Holy Week through the pasyon is not only a remembrance of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ but also a living testament to their continuing struggle for dignity and rights,” said Danny Carranza, secretary general of Kilusan Para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo at Katarungang Panlipunan (Katarungan) Thursday (April 2).
Katarungan has been supporting the farmers in their campaign to regain their land.
Since Holy Wednesday, affected farmers in several barangays in Sariaya—particularly those stripped of their CLOAs, along with others fearing the loss of their land rights—have been holding pabasa, or pasyon readings, in their communities.
Coconut farmers have also joined the religious activity.
“In this shared reflection, they renew their resolve to continue their struggle for land, livelihood, and justice,” Carranza said.
The “Pasyong Mahal,” a Filipino text recounting the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is traditionally chanted or read continuously during Holy Week, often concluding before 3 p.m. on Good Friday.
Carranza said some readings, including one in Barangay Manggalang Kiling, were held under makeshift shelters adorned with handwritten posters bearing the farmers’ demands.
“The posters were their idea. They want to sustain their struggle as they reflect on the trials of Christ,” he said.
Most participants are farmers’ wives, with their spouses joining after tending to their remaining farmlands, he added.
The farmers have long been protesting the cancellation of their CLOAs, which are issued by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to beneficiaries under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Programme (CARP) as proof of land ownership.
Landowners had earlier sought exemption of their estates from CARP coverage, and in 2020, the Supreme Court ruled in their favour.
The displaced farmers have appealed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the DAR to reconsider the revocations.
Carranza said the situation of coconut farmers has worsened amid declining copra prices, further eroding their already fragile incomes.
He added that rising oil prices, driven in part by global conflicts, have increased production and transportation costs.
“In this time of reflection and unity, farmers call for genuine justice in land ownership, fair prices for their produce, and policies that uplift rather than undermine their livelihoods,” Carranza said. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
