The peasantry then had an army that almost brought down the seat of state power. Today is probably the lowest point in the history of the aggrieved Philippine peasantry. The events that recently unfolded have all but sealed the prostrate status of the Philippine peasantry now called “small farmers” to perhaps emphasize their smallness and timidity. The total lending of the major banks to this sector in 2018, according to BSP data, was not even 1 percent. The country’s 3 million small rice farmers have started serving their death sentence as the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the law on rice import liberalization has been rolled out by the cabinet.

Source: Manila Times April 16, 2019 18:00 UTC