WHY THE APARCERO REBELS: ANALYSIS OF ALFRED MCCOY’S POLITICAL CARICATURE

By definition, Aparcero, also known as share-tenants, are farmers who rent plots of land from a
landowner in exchange of a portion of their harvested crops, which is called “sharecropping”. This
political caricature shows a very exhausted and worn-out farmer soaked with sweat and carrying plenty
of sacks at his back and still working in the farm while holding a rope connected to a seemingly worried
carabao. The sacks had the words “Talindua”, “Takipan” and “Pasunod” which are all misguided terms
on the oppression and malpractices experienced by the Aparceros. These sacks (practices) as shown in
the picture put a great burden to their backs and caused them to live in a miserable living condition. The
carabao reflects how the Aparceros’ situation seemed too helpless and hopeless as they were holding
unto something that can’t even help them. With all these sufferings, the farmer said “I can’t bear it any
longer” which triggered them to act and rebel for their own sake. It is entitled “Why the Aparcero
rebels” as it illustrates the unjust and inescapable unfortunate situations of the Aparceros due to the
rotten practices and systems of the landowners which led them to fight for their lives. In simple terms,
Alfred Mccoy’s Aparcero depicts the injustices and unfair treatments experienced by the tenant farmers.
This political caricature clearly illustrates how landowners usury strip the tenant farmers of their rightful
share of harvest because of the Pasunod, Talindua and Takipan practices. Pasunod is the practice which
compels these Aparcero to do extra work and prevent them from abandoning the land, whilst receiving
high interest by offering advances. Takipan is also a practice to offer an advance of two cavans of husked
rice (palay) to be repaid in six months with an interest of another two cavans and an annual interest rate
of 200%. Similarly, Talindua is a practice to pay 3 cavans of rice for six month in replacement of the 2
cavans given prior and with an annual interest rate of 100%. Since they were given advance payments
ahead, the farmers are left with no choice but to follow and be given an extra work without complaints.
At worst case scenario, many farmers have already eaten a large portion of the payments of husked rice
by the landowners and when the harvest season comes near, they almost have no rice to eat. And
during this time, their debt becomes bigger and bigger to the point of no return. As result of the
landlords usury, most of the tenant farmers are deeply in debt. This caricature is made to raise
awareness of the current conditions of our Filipino Farmers during that era but if it will be reproduced
for today’s generation, the words indicated in the sacks would be different like Rice Liberization Law,
Rice Tariffication Law, COVID-19, etc and there would be more farmers in the caricature since there are
already more than 10 million farmers suffering in injustices because of these laws and land reforms.