House Bill Threatens Food Security In Philippines

MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 9, 2008) - A Filipino lawmaker on Tuesday said a bill being proposed in Congress would affect food security in the Philippines.

Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan said the House Resolution 737 authored by Speaker Prospero Nograles, seeks to amend Sections 2 and 3 of Article XII of the Philippine Constitution that would allow the acquisition by foreign corporations and associations, and transfer of alienable lands and private lands.

“Allowing 100 percent foreign ownership of Philippine lands will further endanger the country’s food security and may lead to higher hunger and poverty incidence in the Philippines," she said.

She said the resolution aims to scrap the provision in the Constitution requiring 60 percent ownership by Filipino citizens of corporations wanting to explore, develop and utilize the country’s natural resources and hopes to allow foreign individuals, corporations and associations to hold up to 1,000 hectares of alienable lands of public domain by lease or acquire up to 25 hectares of the same.

According to Ilagan, the resolution, which also aims to sustain national growth by attracting investments, contradicts the 1987 Constitution which states that the State “shall protect Filipino enterprises against unfair foreign competition and trade practices” and “promote industrialization and full employment based on sound agricultural development and agrarian reform”.

“HR 737 will open almost 50 percent of the Philippine’s 30 million hectares of lands to foreigners. Foreign corporations which have greater capability to buy lands than most Filipinos do, will transform these into huge plantations, large scale mining site and other conglomerates which will suit only commercial, transnational interests. As 93 percent of the alienable and disposable lands to become available to them are agricultural, it will displace farmers and will push the country to rely on rice imports to be able to eat,” Ilagan said.

In Mindanao, she said 8,262,612 hectares of the 20,399,772 island’s total land area can be owned by foreign corporations. She fears that Nograles’ plan will lead to further displacement of the Bangsamoro and indigenous peoples and the worsening of peace situation in the southern provinces.

Vast tracks of mineral-rich lands in Mindanao are already being exploited by multinational companies such as Canadian-owned TVI Pacific Inc. for gold, silver, copper and zinc and Crew Development Corporation for nickel. Oil behemoth Exxon Mobil is exploring Sulu for oil deposits while Australian mining giant BHP Billiton is interested in Davao’s nickel.

Ilagan also questioned the medium through which the Speaker is attempting to amend the Constitution. She said that a House resolution would not suffice as changes in the highest law of land should be done by a House bill that is either joint or concurrent that can be transmitted by the House to the Senate.