How a Catholic Community Foiled Corruption
The Universe
(January 11, 2004)
SOME
years ago I met Pedrino and Maria Lagaya, small farmers near Kabankalan
town. This is a famous place because of the work of Columban
Missionaries Fathers Neil O'Brien and Brian Gore who organized the poor
farmers into strong spiritually empowered Christian communities.
They all
took a stand to work together for justice in the community and there
were many atrocities that had to be opposed. These arose during a sugar
boom when the landlords and rich and powerful elites extended their
sugar plantations to take advantage of the rising world prices
for cane sugar.
These tycoons grabbed the smallholdings of the poor. There were forced
evictions, murders and the unjust jailing of their priests including Frs
O'Brien and Gore.
Pedrino and
Maria cleared the brush and planted rice and corn and nurtured the
mature wild mango trees. Mangos were an important part of their income
but a rich man’s cartel fixed the low prices. One day a local government
official informed him that the rights to the property had been claimed
by a Don Pedro Romuladez Benedicto , a political scion of the ruling
class.
Don Pedro
fabricated a false charge against Pedrino claiming he had stolen some
wild bananas. He was jailed, had no money to pay bail or a lawyer and
there he languished while his family went hungry and his land unplanted.
He could not pay his taxes. The land would be forfeit and lost. Don
Pedro would then grab it.
What he had
not known was that Pedrino and Maria were active members of the
Christian Community, which discussed the issue, prayed, planned and
acted.
The next
morning, an extraordinary sight was to be seen coming over the hill. 20
neighbors with their water buffalo, ploughs and harrows arrived and
quietly set to work. Others quickly erected bamboo scaffolding around
the Giant mangos trees one by one and harvested the fruit.
This was
sold into the ‘Fair Trade’ market at top prices and was more than enough
for to pay the bail and get a lawyer. Pedrino paid the taxes and foiled
the corrupt plans of Don Pedro.
This is
kind of Christian love that is changing the lives of hundreds of
thousands around the world. Such project gives fair prices, production
loans and a steady market to the small struggling farmers like Pedrino.
