Peasant Leader Danilo Ramos Welcomed at St. Mary the Virgin Church

by ICHRP-Canada International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines

Vancouver, BC- Rev. Harold Munn and the congregation of  St. Mary the Virgin – South Hill Anglican Church welcomed their special guest and speaker Danilo “Ka Daning” Ramos at the Migrants’ Mass last May 17th, a monthly joint service of the St. Mary’s with Migrante BC, a grassroots organization working to protect and promote the rights and welfare of Filipino migrants, immigrants and refugees.

Ka Daning is a veteran peasant leader and the National Chairperson of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (National Peasant Movement of the Philippines), the largest farmers’ association in the Philippines.

Ka Daning is on a Canada-wide speaking tour organized by the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines – Canada to share the situation of peasant farmers and farm workers  in the Philippines and their calls for “land, food, and justice”. Since April 12, Ka Daning has met many Filipino community groups, solidarity organizations, different migrants’ organizations, and churches in Edmonton and Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, and Winnipeg.

Ka Daning comes from a third generation of Filipino farmers in Malolos, Bulacan. He lost his father at an early age, learned how to help make a living making bamboo tools and traps until he became a full-time farmer in his teens.

Ka Daning said that it was in church that he was first exposed to the social realities. He was a catechist in the Christian Brotherhood in his parish in Malolos, Bulacan and was an officer of the Parish Pastoral Council. His first rally was when their parish was invited to join the protest against the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant project. From his grassroots leadership in Bulacan and Central Luzon for over four decades, he rose to national leadership as KMP’s chairperson representing millions of peasants, farmworks, women and youth.  

In his sharing during the mass, he raised the issue of land ownership in the Philippines that leaves 50-70 million in moderate to high levels of food insecurity according to the UN and World Food Programme. He outlined the issue of 20-30,000 hectares of arable land owned by single families and agricultural corporations such Dole and Del Monte. And, that much of this land is oriented towards export and not for local food production.

Ka Daning voiced his concerns on the recent attacks on peasant communities in the island of Negros. The deaths of 19 individuals in Negros, contrary to the claim of the military as the result of an encounter, is the result of a massacre – based on reports including the fact-finding mission reports and that of the forensic pathologist.  Ka Daning made special mention of Maureen Keil Santuyo, youth peasant organizer and Erro Wendel, community researcher of sugar cane workers. Ka Daning asked for support for the Negros 19.

Mable Elmore, MLA for Vancouver Kensington and Deputy Speaker of the BC Legislative Assembly, expressed her “Warmest Solidarity with KMP” on the visit of Ka Daning to Vancouver with a certificate that read: “For planting the seeds of hope in the resistance against a semi-feudal and semi-colonial system that breeds oppression and misery. May your struggle for land and liberation grow deeper roots from the plains to the mountains and coasts. Long live the Filipino people!”

On behalf of the KMP, Ka Daning presented MLA Elmore and Rev. Harold Munn with the little red KMP banner and a souvenir booklet from the KMP’s 40th anniversary last year.

At the fellowship after the service, Ka Daning continued the sharing and conversations, made new friends and supporters for the peasant movement in the Philippines.

St. Mary the Virgin South Hill church is located at 808 East 50th Avenue, Vancouver. ###

Reference:

Jeff Solis

ICHRP BC/Canada

[email protected]