Ecotage! 

BAN: August Action report from Davao EF! 10dec01

It was August 29,2001 when 8 Earth Firsters including I myself  'TULISAN' decided to join and support the Tampakan farmers in South Cotabato Philippines to destroy the BT corn known as Genetically Modified Crops. The night before the solidarity action about 11:00pm August 28, 2001 we had our final meeting. The MASIPAG (Magsasaka At Syantipiko Para Sa Kaunluran sa Agrikultura/ Scientific Farmers) said that they would pick us up at our meeting place along the highway in Ulas. We stayed at one place so that we would not be late in waiting for others to come. I went home 12:30am to prepare my meal because it would take 5 to 6 hours traveling before we arrived to our destination. We had a little argument with my parents, they thought that I was engaged in the New People's Army that was why I don't live and act like a normal kid in society. I have explained the best that I can for them to understand what I'm doing. It would not bother the spirit of my hatred in this so-called Genetically Modified Food. I left home 1:26am. Corrie a hard line feminist that I would say a very good Model as a Mother of every single child in this society arrived. Then a minute pass by Francis came together with farmers of MASIPAG, Along with our travel we rode by a jeepney. I had noticed when the sun slowly shinning I saw a green surrounding, we were in the countryside already. I was smiling and thinking about the earth "What a beautiful world to live". Almost all of us fell asleep because of a hectic preparation that made us awake the whole night.

I was wondering why there was a strict checkpoint done by the traffic law enforcers. The alligator said that he was just checking the permit to travel in other regions of the country. They let us passed, gave us privilege, and excused for not bringing a complete papers for traveling. Exactly 7:01am again another policeman let us stopped but no violation happened. The worst thing happened was in the third time around, a two policeman with high-powered guns with private vehicle block our way. These two macho cops issued TOP for violating driver's traffic rules. I guess the only violation they accused was "DRIVING WITHOUT MONEY". What a stinky system, they took the license of our friend (brother of Francis). At 8:15am we took our breakfast meal at a small rural cemetery roadside. We brought vegetarian meals such as tofu, meat extender, bread, veggie barbecue sauce, etc.

It came out in our mind, what if were the only people concerned in destroying the poisonous crops? Or What if the field was as big as a football stadium? I think it would last months or a year to uproot the whole mutant plants. I did not loose hope. Suddenly the time that I had been waiting for came. When we were approaching to the Korondal Rizal Park I saw 6 trucks, a jeep, and a van.  The vehicles were loaded of different people of different organizations like KMU (Kilusang Mayo Uno), MASIPAG, BAYAN MUNA, KMP (Kilusang Mambubukid ng Pilipinas), SULTAN KUDARAT FARMERS, METSA FOUNDATION, KONSUMO DABAW, and including our movement EARTH FIRST. The distributing of flyers have began. The main objective was to smash the BT-corn, this crop has no available data suggests that there are health and environmental hazards. BT corn is not a Filipino technology, we should develop unique technologies that are appropriate to our ecological, environmental, socio-economic realities. This newly invented corn is more serious because we have incorporated the poison into the food - more stable, persistent, more toxic (because of promoters), multiplies more (number of plant tissues), and directed to our table food.

This crop is wind pollinated and it can contaminate adjacent corn fields, the pollutant gene has the potential to multiply and recombine with related species; Genetic clean-up is impossible. It residues rapidly bind with humic acid in the soil, persist and accumulate, and it may kill BT-sensitive organisms. The reason is this, the poverty line in the Philippines has increased because of the crisis in economy and political status of the country. In the rural area the prices went up including pesticides, herbicides, and other equipments in farming that made our farmers oppressed.  The peasants have no choice but to do all they can to harvest more crops to recover there debts. Just like right now there is a modified crops called Bacillus Thuringiensis corn or so-called (Bt-Corn), according to the producers it will give answer to our oppressed farmers and will solve the world hunger. It is true GE will give a huge contribution in the field of science but behind the biotechnology it is a potential profit-making life industry, and promises huge profits for multinational companies. The technology allows powerful companies to control food production. Let's get back to action!!!!

For about 12:05 pm we were on our way to the site.  I was excited what would happen when we were on the field of Monsanto. I was thinking that I would find a nice spot to take pictures for remembrance and reports. My expectations was far from what I had thought. When we were on the field the farmers were very aggressive and very angry walking through the farm. They  said there would be a negotiating panel and if there would be no harassment we were free to smash the crops voluntarily. When I was busy taking pictures I had seen 5 farmers including one of my comrade pulled the fence down. I began running to help those guys but when I arrived it was already dismantled, so I pulled the crops and stumped it with my felt.  What I felt was, "This is it! So this is the poisonous one! It must be annihilated! It will cause starvation and problem to humanity and Mother Earth!"

 If you could see the faces of different people who participated you could see their hearts and feel their emotions. The farmers already learned  there lessons with the GREEN REVOLUTION. Behind the GREEN was  a CHEMICAL ORIENTED farming.  I interviewed one of the farmers before we had a meeting at the park, he said for the last 45 years there were 3,500 different types of rice (correct me if I'm wrong!). What IRRI (International Rice Research Institute) created was they collected different varieties of seeds and putted in the seed bank. They invented a highbred one called MIRICLE RICE to solve the world hunger. It came out the chemical base fertilizer, acidity of land, and decreased the production. The traditional farmers were bankrupt because of modern equipment for the benefit of big companies. The GREEN REVOLUTION has made farmers dependent on agrochemical companies, and dependent on increasing quantities of chemical inputs through the years. An important consequence is the indebtedness of small farmers all over the world. I also want to add the issue on golden cohol or golden snail that would feed the world. The result is that the population of golden snail increases and it becomes pest in the farm land.

LET'S GO BACK TO ACTION!!!!!!!!! The test site was ruined in 5 minutes. There were 2 cops carrying  high-powered riffles, one of them was not wearing uniform and the other one does not have name plate. The media asked those cops why they were wearing incomplete uniforms just like NPA, they answered nothing and left the farm and the people. There was also a worker of MONSANTO which was a woman under NCBP (National Committee on Biosafety of the Philippines) took pictures to the angry farmers. I don't know what was her motive but I guess she  just wanted to scare the farmers. She said that the fence has a live wire. A peasant hold the barbed wires with his hands to know if it was true. He shouted, " It is only a bluff!". That was why they destroyed a portion of a fence made of barbed wires. its almost 15 minutes or more (i guess) when the field destroyed. After minutes of resistance we all immediately rode by our perspective vehicle, cleaned all the banners, and changed clothes so that we could escape fast when the reinforcement came. I had seen every person participated in guerilla gardening took a huge part. We were very responsible with ourselves, we escape safely as if noting happened.

Exactly 1:45pm we had our lunch break, it was like picnic at the park. I felt the tension while eating same as the people who joined the ECOTAGE! After lunch we stayed at KMP office in Koronadal, the media interviewed 4 speakers of KMP. At 5:20 in the afternoon we were on our way to Davao City our hometown. As far as I know 11 out of 30 products here in the Philippines are positive in GMO, only 3% in Mindanao population knew or have a greater knowledge about Genetically Modified Organisms.

We will not give up until it is totally banned in the Philippines. So MONSANTO see you next time.

"IF YOU WILL PLANT IT! WE WILL BURN IT!"
-DAVAO EARTH FIRST!-