by Carl Ryan Villa & Keith Brandon L. Cari-an
Farmers from across Negros Occidental gathered at the Function Hall of Carlos Hilado Memorial State University (CHMSU) Talisay Main Campus on May 29, 2026, to access free legal assistance on agrarian and land rights issues through a specially organized Mobile Help Desk.
A total of 16 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) from eight municipalities — Murcia, Victorias, Silay, Sipalay, Talisay, Manapla, EB Magalona, and Calatrava — were served during the event, bringing forward 20 cases involving land and human rights concerns.
The one-day initiative provided farmers with direct access to free legal consultations, case assessments, document processing assistance, and rights education — services designed to help smallholder farmers navigate the often complex landscape of agrarian law and land tenure.
CIER / Erlgane Casuyon photos
Five lawyers volunteered their expertise for the consultations: Atty. Lorebette Grandea, Atty. Liezi Cua, Atty. Erica Quinones, Atty. Jacquelyn Jacob, and Atty. Jay Erwin Balabag.
The activity was organized under the Land Justice Initiative (LJI), a project implemented by Kaisahan tungo sa Kaunlaran ng Kanayunan at Repormang Pansakahan (KAISAHAN) and the Asian NGO Coalition for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ANGOC), with funding support from the European Union (EU). KAISAHAN was represented by Gil Portillo, Area Coordinator for Negros Occidental.
It was carried out in partnership with the CHMSU Center for Human Rights Education and the Commission on Human Rights.
The free legal service was coordinated through the Center for Internationalization and External Relations, led by Director Rhoderick Samonte. The CHMSU Social Science Guild served as secretariat and facilitators for the event.
CIER / Erlgane Casuyon photos
