To commemorate the 21st anniversary of the Hacienda Luisita massacre, the Alyansa ng mga Manggagawang Bukid ng Asyenda Luisita (AMBALA) held an assembly in Barangay Lourdes, San Miguel, Tarlac City on November 15.

Peasants and progressive groups highlighted the program with speeches calling for genuine agrarian reform, justice for the Hacienda Luisita victims, and the abolition of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), alongside the removal of military presence in the rural area.

Ronie Manalo, secretary general of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), discussed the national state of farmers and its connection to bureaucratic capitalism.

Adding depth to the discussion on farmers’ rights, Ariel “Ka Ayik” Casilao, head of the Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA), emphasized the need for solidarity with Hacienda Luisita and urged broader campaigns pushing for genuine agrarian reform.

Meanwhile, Cathy Estavillo, general secretary of Amihan – National Federation of Peasant Women, highlighted the situation of women farmers and their key involvement in mobilizations concerning agricultural issues. She also detailed how the government’s neoliberal policies affect rural communities.

The election of new AMBALA officers was likewise held, with women taking on the majority of leadership roles. The program concluded with members tearing up the cancelled Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA), symbolizing their rejection of the government’s stance on their land rights.

Attendees included leaders and members of AMBALA alongside progressive groups KMP, Amihan, UMA, Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luson (AMGL), Bayan – Tarlac, Gabriela Women’s Partylist, and Anakpawis Partylist.

21 years after the Hacienda Luisita massacre, the killings of the seven farmers who were violently dispersed with gunfire remain unresolved.