| dc.description.abstract | The truest indicator of development of a nation is the education and
economic status of its poorest sector. In the Philippines society, the farmers are
identified as the poorest sector. Seventy percent of its population is into
farming; and eight of every ten farmers are landless. Using judgement sampling
technique in selecting the study participants, this collaboratively undertaken
qualitative multiple case study explored and described the situation of landless
peasants across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao islands. As a result, the
indescribable disparity between the increasing amount of farm inputs, daily
consumption and inflation, traditional farming, landlessness, too much
contribution in actual farming, unenticing and uncontextualized education, and
low quality of food intake on one side as respectively against that of low amount
of harvest, low income, non-mechanized production process, less farm
management participation, unfair sharing system, less opportunity for
recreation, untapped farming capability and the insufficient nutrition on the
other end appeared to be the closest description of the plight and struggles of the
landless peasants. Consequently, this stretching gap intensifies the aspiration of
the farmers to make both ends meet. However, as their aspiration turns into a
mere dream, their vulnerability to engage in the active, nationalistic and
democratic means in searching for justice becomes a reality. Likewise, this study
has established an extended essence of “making both ends meet” from a mere
economic connotation of scarcity and the sacrifice in coping the daily needs with
the meagre and insufficient income to the political convergence of the world of
the academicians and the landless farmers, and the cultural quandary amidst
starvation at home and gruelling condition in the workplace experienced by the
latter. The study revealed that the struggles of the owners of the stories in
making both ends meet had changed the social orientation of the narrators of the
stories. The owners and narrators have unified their dreams and aspirations.
Their encounter triggered a stronger advocacy and solidarity.
Keywords: Making both ends meet, landless peasants, plight, struggles and
aspirations | en_US |
