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FFF - A Golden Journey
At the heart of this country lies the farmer - humble
despite his vital national role yet firm in his social task.
Quietly, he toils every day for the country. And for many years, he
kept his silence, his voice hidden in the cracks of the soil he
plows. The success of the Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) lies in
motivating the farmer to liberate himself from the chains of
injustice. Fifty golden years into its history, the FFF, one of the
country’s largest peasant organizations, has given the Filipino
peasantry hope in uplifting the depressed conditions in the
countryside. The FFF is anchored on the principle that the farmer is
the backbone of the nation; his work on the land is central to the
economy. Despite their huge contributions to the country, however,
farmers often fall prey to abusive landlords and traders. Thus, the
FFF promotes the philosophy of total human development by helping
the farmers acquire the legal help, political strength, economic
power, and religious conviction that would help bring about their
freedom from bondage and servility.For the FFF, self-reliance is
the key to a solid organization of peasants, by the peasants, and
for the peasants. This framework has earned the FFF the sustained
support of thousands of peasants and other rural workers. The FFF
has been instrumental in the passage of laws and implementation of
programs that aided the peasants in their struggle for social
justice. These include the Agricultural Tenancy Act (Republic Act
1199), the Agricultural Land Reform Code of 1963 (RA 3844), and the
Code of Agrarian Reforms (RA 6389). But what gives a unique identity
to the FFF is a truly Filipino ideology that is based on Christian
social teachings which has been rigorously ingrained in its members.
Against the backdrop of centuries of hardship and poverty affecting
Filipino farmers, the history of the FFF is one rich in resistance
to injustice and perseverance in achieving lasting reform. With its
50th anniversary theme, “Gintong Kasaysayan tungo sa Gintong
Kinabukasan,” the FFF sounds the call to renew and continue its
spirited journey into the next half-century.
------o0o------
“We shall teach the masses the mysteries of the Sacred Host but we
must first begin with a grain of rice. We shall teach them the
lessons of the Cross. But we must first begin with the plow.”
- FFF Founder and President Jeremias U. Montemayor
Commencement Address to the 1954 Class of the Ateneo de Tugeugarao
--0o0--
“More than 30 years na ako sa samahan, 1969 ako pumasok.
Marami sa mga kasama ko ang namatay na Pero marami rin sa mga kasama
natin buhay pa ngayon pero patay na ang espiritu sa samahan. Pero
ako kahit na wala na akong hininga, FFF pa rin ako! Ang sabi ko nga,
sana ang Panginoon ang pagkuha sa akin ay ‘lump sum’ hindi ‘20-20.’
Kasi ang inalis muna Niya sa akin ang paningin ko. Pero maski ganito
ako at kung sa mga susunod na seminar ay hindi na ako makadalo, ang
espiritu ko ang makakasama niyo. Kahit na patay na ako, FFF pa rin
ako.”- FFF member Edito Manco
--0o0--
"Yung ideology pala natin, na dito ko lang nalaman, yung Love,
Truth and Justice. Yun talaga ang tema ng organization e. Bakit ka
nag-join ng FFF? Gusto ko kasi yung katotohanan, pagmamahalan, at
hustisya. So kung nasa iyo yung tatlo na iyon… Malawak na ang ibig
sabihin noon… Almost complete na. Biro mo sa isang organization,
bakit ka nandadaya, e di walang hustisya. Yung dinadaya mo, ibig
sabihin noon, wala ka ring pagmamahal doon. At siyempre dinadaya mo,
walang katotohanan yung sinasabi mo palagi. Kaya yung Love, Truth,
and Justice na pinagtututunan natin, na pinagsesentrohan natin,
nandoon na yun talaga. Saan naman galing yun? Kung meron kang
pag-ibig, nasa iyo ang Panginoon. Hindi ba sa Panginoon din yung
Love, Truth and Justice?"
- FFF member Saturnino
Distor
--0o0-- "Ang nakita ko,
ang FFF ay dumedepensa sa mga kapus-palad. So parang doon ako
nakumbinse. Yung para sa masa kasi. Palibhasa, born mahirap tayo.
Yun ideolology ng FFF maliwanag. Hindi katulad ng ibang samahan na
seasonal. Samahan lang sila pag may problema. Samahan lang sila pag
may ipinaglalaban. Pero FFF sa tingin ko, nung umpisa pa lang e,
nakumbinse kaagad ako na ito'y pang habang-buhay. Hindi lang siya
pana-panahon. Ang isa pang nakakumbinse sa akin, e yung walang
itinatanggi. Kahit na sabihing ikaw ay mahirap, basta nandoon ka sa
hanay ng peasant group, welcome ka doon sa FFF. Basta hindi lang
siya nag-exploit ng kapwa."-
FFF member Leonilo Binalangbang
--0o0--
“The mind of the farmer now lies smoldering in disillusionment.
But his spirit has not been broken. He looks around for a new hope,
a new leadership.”
- FFF Founder and President
Jeremias U. Montemayor
Commencement Address to the 1954 Class of the Ateneo de Tuguegarao
--0o0--
“Malaking bagay ‘yong entry ng Federation of Free
Farmers. Kasi what is spirituality kung wala kang witnessing. Kung
wala kang ginawa sa kapwa mo? What is your spirituality? Almost
nothing. That is what gives meaning to life.”
- Imelda de la Cruz
pioneering teacher of Maryknoll High School in Sigaboy, Davao
Oriental
--0o0--
“Sabi ni Fr. Pio (Eugenio), ‘Pag-aralan mo ito,
itong Bible na ito… heto pa ang karagdagan.’ ‘Ano yan?’ ‘Mater et
Magistra.’ ‘Baka di ko maintindihan yan?’ ‘Hindi, Tagalog yan.’
Binasa-basa ko yong Bibliya at yong papal encyclical na ‘Mater et
Magistra.’ Nakita ko sa Bibliya na yong trabaho ko sa una kong
samahan, malayo pala sa katotohanan. At ‘yong ginagawa ng FFF,
nakita ko sa ‘Mater et Magistra’. Eto pala ang linya ng FFF”
- Former FFF Rizal President
Miguel Cruz
Taken from his speech to the Workers for Christ the Worker (WCW)
in Bayambang, Pangasinan in 1986
--0o0--
“You felt that you were doing something very
relevant for the country.”
- FFF student-volunteer Sally
Munsayac-Bulatao
--0o0--
“Tinuro sa amin ni Dean na maging consistent ka
sa principles mo. Kung sasabihin mo na pagka pula, pula, hindi maka-violet.
Hanggang ngayon, I'm trying to live up to it. Kasi nakita namin eh.
Sa mga paglalaban namin sa mga land cases, walang compromise. Ang
dami-dami naming napa-titulo - sa Quezon, sa Mindanao…!”
- FFF officer Asuncion Nacario
--0o0--
“...During that time, talagang high sa kwan eh...
talagang, parang, change the world (ang pakiramdam)! Marami, marami…’yong
buong context sa FFF talagang, maka-convince sa iyo eh. ‘Yong
pilosopiya. ‘Yong philosophy of organization. ‘ Yong Christianity.
Eh doon na nagumpisa. Naging organizer ako. Pulis na naging
organizer!”
- FFF Biliran member Edito Manco
--0o0--
“Filipinos in general knew only one kind of group
business enterprise - the corporation (aside from the
partnership)... By contrast, a cooperative is supposed to have much
more numerous members, specially coming from the poorer sectors of
society.”
- FFF Founder and President
Jeremias U. Montemayor
--0o0--
“Lupa, ito’y mahalaga. This belongs to God the
creator. Binuo, pero he entrusted it to the people who can work
closely with nature. Kailangan, in harmony with nature. Do not go
against nature!”
- FFF Davao member Felicisimo
Patayan
--0o0--
“While the smaller and lower sectors and
individuals should be allowed and encouraged to do what they can do
for and by themselves, yet there are certain essential tasks that
cannot be performed by any of them acting singly or separately...
The principle of Solidarity is an antidote to the evils of
individualism and separatism.”
- from “Toward a Filipino
Ideology”
--0o0--
“The FFF is an organization set-up by farmers as
an instrument which they can use to solve their own problems...
because the FFF was established by the farmers, is maintained by the
farmers, and is directed by the farmers... This means that it is the
farmers themselves who will work out and bring about their own
liberation.”
- FFF Founder and President
Jeremias U. Montemayor
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