Farmers of Sigogon Island with their Families. Farmer Amelia is one ofthe inhabitants of Sicogon Island in Iloilo, Philippines—an island of miraculous beauty complete with pristine beaches and transparent turquoise waters. A few months...
If JusticeMaker Rosselynn Jae Garcia de la Cruz had to name other agrarian reform lawyers in the Philippines, she would be stumped after listing a few names. Not because there doesn’t exist a network amongst agrarian...
As the sun slowly makes its way towards the horizon, all is quiet in the village of Nilantagan. The pervading atmosphere is one of defeat and frustration as the farmers here face yet another...
Victory seemed so near that day. After three visits to the Philippine National Police, two arrests and a trip to the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Lucena, the one thing that was left to...
Each year in the Philippines, many human rights activists receive death threats, and some get killed. To continue working in this hostile environment, activists rely heavily on each other for support. Whether the issue...
In the Bondoc peninsula, where the municipalities of San Andres and San Narciso meet, it is easy to lose oneself in the serene scenery of the rolling hills filled with coconut trees. However, the lush...
Ten years ago, the tenants of Hacienda Villa Reyes in Quezon Province, Philippines lived a poor and destitute life. They spent their days riding buffaloes, harvesting coconuts and cultivating maize fields. Yet despite the...
Above: Rosselynn Jae Garcia de la Cruz (Jae), 2010 JusticeMaker fellow and agrarian reform lawyer It was about 3 in the afternoon when JusticeMakers Fellow and agrarian reform lawyer, Rosselynn Jae Garcia de la...
In Manila, new prisoners very rarely know their rights. Years of their lives are being determined by a system that they don’t fully understand. Because of this, the JusticeMakers in Manila make a point...
One of my coworkers in Manila has a very interesting story. His experience illustrates not only the problems in the justice system in the Philippines, but also how the JusticeMakers are making a difference....
