keep walking

the following is an excerpt of Father Ben's citation read during the conferment of the Ozanam Award to the Sumilao farmers and Atty. Bag-ao. i got it from a gmanews.tv blog (here) and it was nice to their cause on the homepage of that news site. the blog mentioned that they got a standing ovation too. neat.

the walk of a nation has not ended just yet.

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“The Sumilao farmers’ story is not just about the land case or about the land. It is about a long arduous walk that was gallantly done with faith. It is about the journey for justice that a community of powerless farmers collectively pursued, and the solidarity that it engendered.

“The march was a walk to uncertainty. There was no assurance that upon reaching Metro Manila, the farmers would have a favorable resolution of their case. The only thing certain was their resolve to seek justice and to present their case and their cause. This enabled them to overcome the hunger and the fatigue, and to endure the heat and the rains. They were determined to reclaim their land and they strongly believed that somehow they would.

“The march was a call for solidarity. Throughout the march, the Sumilao farmers attracted the attention of people from all walks of life. Bystanders were transformed into supporters. People from both the rural and urban areas, religious and lay alike, joined the marchers as they walked, ate, and rested, and as they discussed their quest for justice.

"The destination of the march that started in Sumilao, Bukidnon was not the streets of Metro Manila. The march was not just the walk of the farmers; it was the walk of an entire country. The destination of that journey for justice was the farmlands of Sumilao, Bukidnon. It was the walk of a nation seeking to correct an age-old injustice. It was a journey to bring home the Sumilao farmers to the land that is rightfully theirs.”

“The word ‘Sumilao’ refers to ‘shining light’. As farmers walked, step by step, day after day, they served as beacons of hope and inspiration, of faith and justice, traversing the dark straits of our country.”