This study describes the socioeconomic and political conditions of landless agricultural workers in a village in Central Luzon, the rice granary of the Philippines, as perceived by the landless themselves. San Jose, the village, is situated in Pampanga province and has a population of 3400. 60% of land is devoted to rice culivation. The land tenure system is described. The high incidence of landlessness is attributed to: extreme poverty; ignorance of rights and laws; and pressure from an expanding population. Sources of livelihood for the landless depend upon firewood gathering, charcoal making and slash-and-burn agriculture. Labour arrangements in the rice sector are described, including the bataris, upa and atorga systems. The local credit and marketing system is examined and found to exacerbate the plight of the Bario people. The study concludes that the landless are aware of their situation but feel helpless and frustrated by the local situation. At the national level, rural development programmes have only perpetuated a state of underdevelopment and poverty.
