New CARP law set for signing on Aug. 8

CEBU, Philippines - The reconciliation of House Bill 4077 and Senate Bill 2666 which both push for the extension of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program brought to existence a modified program now they called CARP with reforms, or CARPeR.

Scheduled to be signed into law on August 8, CARPeR provides for the extension of CARP into five more years with appropriate budget of P150 billion of which 60 percent is allotted for land distribution while the rest is for delivery of support services.

Under the CARPeR, the Land Acquisition and Distribution component of CARP will be implemented in five phases and has already started this month.

Phase 1 began last July 1, which involves all the remaining land above 50 hectares and all private agriculture land in excess of 50 hectares that are issued with notice of coverage on or before December 10, 2008 and also all Voluntary Land Transfer schemes submitted on or before June 30 this year.

“After June 30, there will be no more VLT. Only Compulsory Acquisition and Voluntary Offer to Sell will be recognized as modes for land acquisition. Phase 1 will be implemented from July 1 to December 30, 2010,” said Department of Agrarian Reform-7 regional director Rodolfo Inson.

Phase 2 will have two parts: the first part shall involve land holdings in excess of 24 to 50 hectares with NOC issued on or before December 10 last year.

The second part of phase 2 covers all remaining private agricultural lands in excess of 24 hectares whether or not with Notice of Coverage. 

Phase 2 will begin one year from the effectivity date of CARPeR to be completed on December 31 next year.

Parcels of land in excess of 10 hectares will be covered under the first part of Phase 3. Its implementation will begin on January 2011 until December of 2012.

The second part of Phase 3 will cover those agricultural lands in excess of retention areas up to 10 hectares which will operate on January 2013 and must be completed on June 30, 2014.

In preparation of all of these, DAR-7 regional management has already scheduled a review and planning session and Municipal Agrarian Reform Officers assessments in the four provinces of the region.

The planning sessions and MARO assessment in Bohol were held last July 8 to 10, Cebu’s is set for July 26 to 28, Siquijor’s is for July 23 to 24 and August 25 to 27 in Negros Oriental.

The aim is to come up with a five-year plan and a redeployment plan for its personnel to cope up with the implementation phases.

DAR-7 still has a total Land Acquisition and Distribution balance of 56,711 hectares to be distributed until 2014.

For Phase 1, DAR-7will distribute the balance of 33,760 hectares which comprises of 3,621 hectares in Bohol, 11,121 hectares in Cebu, 18, 660 hectares in Negros Oriental and 359 hectares in Siquijor.

DAR-7 Information Officer Angelina Manubag assured the public, especially their clients, that the department is working out the plans and strategies to successfully implement the program as provided for under the new CARPeR. — Jessica Ann R. Pareja/BRP (THE FREEMAN)