Protest actions from peasant and other militant organizations await President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo when she arrives in Negros Occidental today.

Isidro Castillo, chairman Negros Federation of Sugar Workers said they will hold rallies to denounce the militarization in Negros being implemented by the government through “Oplan Bantay Laya 2” and the hunger experienced by the peasants because of poverty.

Castillo said that in 1979, October was designated by the United Nations as the World Food Month, but the irony is that many have no food on their plates.

Rannie Lava of Anakpawis Partylist said October should instead be called “World Foodless Month” because many are starving, especially the poor peasant workers.

Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas media liaison Officer Greg Ratin stressed that they will not create public disturbance, they only want to air their grievances.

In their joint statement yesterday, the groups stressed that there is nothing to celebrate since the people are in a miserable state, starving everyday and are also victims of the “capitalism-driven poverty”.

They claimed that in the Philippines , few people can meet the poverty threshold level of P592 per day, while in Negros Occidental, farm workers only earn P93.17 a day, excluding benefits.

They also said that, based on the research conducted by Sentro Para sa Tunay na Agraryo early this year, seven out of 10 farmers have no land or have no security of tenure on the land they till.

Aside from the protest today, they will also launch a caravan on October 21 in several areas in the province and another protest action in Bacolod City .

The Negros Occidental and the Bacolod City Police Offices have earlier announced the deployment of 1,000 policemen to secure the President while she is in the province.*APN

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