Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo underscored the importance of agrarian services under the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms (CASER) to the Department’s program beneficiaries as she graced yesterday the opening of the Portraits of Peace Mural Exhibit at the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Central Office in Quezon City.

CASER is considered as the ‘heart and soul’ of the peace talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). It contains proposed social and economic reforms aiming to address the root causes of conflict to achieve genuine and lasting peace.

“Nakausap namin ang ilan sa mga beneficiaries ng Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) at nalaman namin na marami sa kanila ang magsasaka at manggagawang bukid na isang kahig, isang tuka (We spoke with some beneficiaries of 4Ps and we learned that many of them are farmers and farm workers who need to work every day to feed their families),” Sec. Taguiwalo said.

“Kung magkaroon sila ng lupa at access sa agrarian services, hindi na nila kailangan na magpakahirap pa—pumila at sumunod sa iba’t-ibang kondisyon—para makakuha ng kakarampot na tulong mula sa gobyerno (If they will have their own piece of land and access to agrarian services, they will not have to go through different processes just to receive a little help from the government),” she explained.

Sec. Taguiwalo said that with CASER, the Department will not need programs like 4Ps, whose beneficiaries need to comply to a set of conditions to be eligible to receive their monthly pay-outs—making what should be every Filipino’s right to social services ‘conditional’.

“Sa usapin ng pag-aaral at kalusugan, mayroon ding kondisyon. Kailangan ipasok ang anak sa school at magpa-checkup kada buwan, kasi kung hindi, hindi ka bibigyan ng pera. Nagiging conditional ang usapin ng karapatan—karapatan sa edukasyon, kalusugan, at pagkain. Ito ang probisyon ng ating social services sa ngayon (There are also conditions when it comes to health and education. For instance, beneficiaries need to enroll their children to school and bring them to monthly check-ups in order to get their money. Their rights to education, health, and food become conditional. This is the ​current provision of our social services),” Sec. Taguiwalo added.

The welfare chief said that a solution to this is the CASER, which, she cited as an excellent agreement in the national industrialization for jobs, agrarian reform, and a government that genuinely serves the nation.

“Kaya sinasabi natin, at alam ‘yan ni President Rodrigo Duterte, na sa hinaba-haba ng giyera sa Pilipinas, malinaw na hindi puwede ang military solution (That is why we are saying, and President Rodrigo Duterte knows it, that military solution is not the key to the longstanding war in the Philippines) It has to be a solution that will address the root causes of the problem,” Sec. Taguiwalo said.

In closing, the Secretary urged for the promotion of peace that is based on social justice by providing the needed social services to the poor.

“Bigas, hindi bala. Lupa, hindi bomba. Trabaho, hindi ‘endo.’ Ito ang sinasabi nating kapayapaan batay sa hustisyang panlipunan, at ito ang sinusuportahan natin  (Rice, not bullet; land, not bombs; and job, not end of contract. This is the peace that we want, peace that is based on social justice. This is what we have been supporting),” she emphasized.

The Portraits of Peace mural exhibit at DAR was launched in support of the 5th round of GRP-NDFP peace negotiations and for the confirmation of DAR Secretary Rafael Mariano and Sec. Taguiwalo.###