21,000 hectares more for CARP beneficiaries

CEBU – With the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program expiring in December this year, the Cebu Provincial Agrarian Reform Office intends to distribute 21,235 hectares of land to CARP beneficiaries before the end of 2010.

PARO chief executive officer Stephen Leonidas said that even after CARP expires, support services to farmers will continue, even if it would mean that PARO would have to use its internal funds to finance CARP projects.

PARO has already distributed 22,342 hectares of the 62,231 hectares of land covered by CARP, which covers 12 percent of the whole province of Cebu. The province has a land area of up to 508,839 hectares.

The total scope of land covered by CARP, however, has 18,654 hectares of deductible land which makes the working scope to only 43,577 hectares.

Leonidas said the 18.5 hectares of deductible land are composed of lands that are exempted by the law from CARP coverage. These are lands with above 18 percent slope, those considered as retention areas, those granted exemption by the Supreme Court, and those approved for conversion, among others.

The 21,235 hectares for distribution include mostly those acquired from compulsory acquisition and those acquired from voluntary offer to sell, operation land transfer, voluntary land transfer, and awards.

This year alone, DAR has distributed 1,744 hectares –16 hectares on February, 32 hectares on March, 45 hectares on April, 157 hectares on May, 986 hectares on June, 354 hectares on July, and 151 hectares on August.

As of August 31, the distribution rate has reached 58 percent, reportedly the highest distribution rate in the history of PARO Cebu. The office aims to distribute 3000 hectares this year alone.

CARP has 23 existing Agrarian Reform Communities spread all over Cebu province with 10,990 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries.

CARP helps landless farmers own land that they could till. Aside from the land, CARP also offered support services such as various projects for agricultural development.

Support services vary from Farm-to-Market roads, drainage system, construction and rehabilitation of significant infrastructures, Gender and Development programs and other livelihood programs and projects for sustainable agriculture.

CARP's affectivity runs for 10 years since the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law was passed on June 10, 1988. It shall expire on June this year but was extended only until December. – Jessica Ann Pareja/JMO (THE FREEMAN)