An episode of Kodao’s rural radio program in the Philippines features Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) Chairperson Danilo Ramos and Pambansang Kilusan ng Samahang Magsasaka (PAKISAMA) Leader Ireneo Cirilla as they advocate for land ownership rights of family farmers.

The episode started with a presentation of Ramos’ candidacy for a senatorial seat for this year’s elections. He has been actively involved in fighting for farmers’ rights in the Philippines since the 1980s and he is the only candidate who represents small farmers [1].

“Magsasaka, itanim sa senado; taumbayan ang panalo (Plant a farmer in the senate, it will be the people’s victory),” Ramos declared.

Cirilla, also a staunch advocate of farmers’ rights, echoes Ramos’ platform. He said that his dream is for farmers to have their own lands and for the government to provide support to small farmers.

Since the passing of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (RA 6657) in 1988, the Philippine government has sought to promote social justice by prioritizing the welfare of landless farmers to encourage rural development [2]. 

In reality, however, Filipino farmers continue to face marginalization as they fight against private and state powers that seek to exploit their labor and/or take their lands.

In the 2022 Census of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) recorded 19.68 million individuals aged 18 and above who belonged to households with at least one agricultural operator [3].

Among those 19.68 million individuals, only 4.3 million (21.8%) individuals declared that they owned or secured rights over their agricultural land. The census further revealed that the average farm size has declined from 3.61 hectares in 1970 to 0.83 hectares in 2022, indicating that agricultural productivity continues to decrease over time [3].

Ramos and Cirilla have spent many years working with the government to help solve the land ownership crisis in the Philippines yet these issues still persist to this day.

Rural radio initiatives such as this serve to amplify Ramos’ candidacy and Cirilla’s advocacy work in the hope of empowering farmers in the margins who struggle with making a liveable wage and sustaining their farmlands.

To learn more about the issues faced by farmers in the Philippines and in the Asia Pacific region, visit the ComDev Asia website and listen to other rural radio episodes.

This rural radio initiative is a collaborative project by AMARC Asia-Pacific and ComDev Asia and produced locally by Kodao Productions and PAKISAMA. It is supported by the United Nations’ (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization for the UN Decade of Family Farming.

This article was written by Xchaina Amo, ComDev Asia intern.

References

[1] Rappler. (n.d.). Danilo Ramos. Candidate for senator (2025). Danilo Ramos 

[2]  Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law, Republic Act No. 6657, (June 10, 1988) (Phil.), REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6657 (June 10, 1988) 

[3] Philippine Statistics Authority. (2025, January 2). 2022 Census of Agriculture and Fisheries Agricultural Population with Ownership or Secure Rights Over Agricultural Land (SDG 5a.1). Census of Agriculture and Fisheries | Philippine Statistics Authority