As a sea of clamoring Filipinos gathered around the monument of Andres Bonifacio on March 8 International Working Women’s Day, I floated towards a woman clad in red, a placard in hand, with truths to speak.
Cathy Estavillo, a member of AMIHAN (National Federation of Peasant Women) and a spokesperson for the Bantay Bigas campaign, was among the hundreds who attended the demonstration rally at Manila’s Liwasang Bonifacio to celebrate women in the workforce as well as to assail the many political, social, and economic abuses under President Rodrigo Duterte’s regime.
Estavillo stood amid the crowd, waging war against agricultural liberalization, economic oppression, female discrimination, land exploitation, among others. You can say it was a fight for her rights – as a farmer, as a woman, as a Filipino.
No Land in her own Land
Estavillo was raised in an impoverished household in Cagayan Valley. With parents who solely relied on plowing fields to feed five children, a chance at a decent life was beyond her reach.
At an early age, she had no choice but to set her education aside and help her family in the grueling task of tending the land.
“Walang sariling lupa ‘yung aking mga magulang. Walang suporta ng gobyerno sa magkasasaka natin kaya hirap na hirap ‘yung aming magulang. Kaya kahit anong gustuhin namin makapag-aral ay hindi talaga kami napag-aral (My parents do not own a land of their own. The government did not support farmers, which is why my parents struggled),” the 56-year-old recalled.
For Estavillo, the outrageous exploitation of the ruling class was what kept them – and other rural families – within the lines of poverty. To be able to sow a strip of land was made a privilege by the government, milking the farmers dry.
“Tuwing nagtatanim ang aming magulang, kailangan niyang mangutang para makapagtanim sa isang ektaryang palayan (My parents have to borrow money to sow a hectare of land),” she shared.
Peasants were at the mercy of the “feudal lords,” a practice of which Estavillo did not take kindly.
With little to no resources and social footing, she realized Filipino farmers were simply incapable of resisting such kind of oppression. This harsh reality prompted Estavillo to join progressive troops that defend the interests of the minority, of her own people.
Taking the Field
A stern activist in women’s movements since the 1980s, Estavillo took it upon herself to help female peasants to realize their rights. Aside from fulfilling her duties as a mother and a wife, she believes her ultimate calling is to serve her countrymen.
“Hindi na pansarili ang tinitignan [ko] kundi para sa pangkalahatan. ‘Tas ‘yung buhay mo hindi nalang sa pamilya kundi para sa taong bayan (I am no longer concerned about myself but the greater good. [My] life does not only revolve around family but also the people).
Estavillo has been part of AMIHAN for almost 25 years now. AMIHAN is a nationwide organization with 19 provincial chapters in 9 regions. It aims to unite and empower the minority in the Philippines through rigorous campaigns, leadership development activities, academic crusades, and external reinforcement programs. As part of the AMIHAN, Estavillo is able to educate farmers of the realities of the agriculture industry.
“Marami akong nagagawa [bilang parte ng kilusan] sa pamamagitan ng pago-organisa sa hanay ng mga babaeng magsasaka upang makita nila ‘yung kongkretong sitwasyon nila sa buhay at bakit palaging nasa krisis ang kanilang kabuhayan (I have accomplished a lot [as part of the group] through organizing activities and campaigns for women peasants for them to see the real situation and the problems that impact their livelihood),” she said.
Currently, AMIHAN is focused on shedding light on topics such as the Rice Liberalization Law, which negatively impacts the livelihood of small-scale farmers as it allows the unregulated importation of cheap rice in the market. This puts a strain on local rice production, which the group forcefully opposes.
“Ihinto ‘yung liberalisasyon sa agrikultura, gaya yung pagi-import ng mga produktong agrikultura na meron naman tayo nalilikha. ‘Yung ating magsasaka tuloy, luging lugi. Nababaon na sila sa utang kasi barat na barat ‘yung presyo ng produkto nila (Stop the liberalization of agriculture, like the importation of agricultural products that we are also capable of producing. Our farmers are now at a deficit. They are in debt because of the low prices of their products).”
Aside from that, the group also upholds farmers’ rights for land ownership and appeals to the Duterte administration to actually show “sincere support” to the men and women of the agricultural sector.
The Work of a Woman
In our society, one is rendered powerless when born poor and female. It means one should suffer in silence and wave her flag in defeat. But Estavillo is proof that people born at a disadvantage are more than capable of combat.
Despite the many threats and challenges faced by women and the minority, Estavillo has high hopes for the future as she is glad to see women realizing their greater role and growing power in society.
“Lumalawak na ‘yung mga kakabaihang nakakaintindi sa kanilang mga sitwasyon bilang babae at mamamayan. Kaya’t hindi na mahirap ipaintindi sa kanila ‘yung mga exploitasyon at kahirapan na nararanasan nila lalo na sa brutal na rehimeng Duterte (The number of women with growing awareness of the realities of life is increasing. That’s why it’s not hard to make them see the exploitations that we are now facing under the brutal Duterte regime).’’
And in one way or another, her noble fight as a farmer, as a woman, as a Filipino is yours too.
