Following the death of 11-year-old Marianette Amper, poverty has once again drove another Filipino, this time a 29-year-old farmer in Butuan City, Caraga Region, southern Philippines, to commit suicide.  The victim’s lifeless body was found hanging from a tree about 100 meters from his house Friday morning.

Members of No Deal! JPEPA, Movement Against Unequal Economic Agreements, slammed the effects on agriculture of the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA). In its petition, the No Deal! JPEPA states, “Farmers and agricultural workers stand to suffer even more from contract-growing arrangements with transnational agri-business corporations. Land use conversion will also affect domestic food production.”