27,000 hectares up for poor farmers

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Agrarian Reform-7 is all set to complete the distribution of the over 27,000 hectares of land to poor farmers of Cebu, Bohol and Siquijor who are going to be beneficiaries of the extended Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.

DAR-7, in a series of workshops and conferences for agrarian reform officials, has reconciled the data for Land Acquisition and Distribution balances based on the result of the inventory conducted to determine the CARP scope in each province in the region.

In Cebu, it has been determined that DAR-7 is due to distribute 19,079.1452 hectares of agricultural land while there are still 7,677.0443 hectares in Bohol to be distributed.

Siquijor, which is the smallest province, has 300 hectares of lot ready for distribution to deserving farmer-beneficiaries of the province.

Oriental Negros, the biggest province of the region, where the bulk of still to be distributed lands are located has not yet finalized its data on LAD balance. Provincial agrarian reform officials (PAROs) there vied for more time for them to reconcile the data since there are a lot of factors delaying their operations - one of which is the strong resistance of landowners.

This firming up of the LAD balances was done during the recent workshop at the Northwinds Hotel in barangay Lahug, attended by regional and provincial DAR officials.

DAR believes that knowing the scope of their operation is an effective scheme to fully acquire and complete land distribution in five years.

This is also in compliance with the directive of the Senate and the House of Representatives to DAR asking the department to come up with an integrated data base with priority of firming up LAD balance in each province for implementation from July 1 of this year to June 30, 2014.

PAROs signed a commitment, to officially adopt, implement and accomplish the said balances until 2014, attested by their respective Presidential Agrarian Reform Council chairperson, DAR-7 regional director Rodolfo Inson.

Early this month, DAR also held a two-day re-Echo Orientation Seminar on the implementing Rules and Regulations of the newly signed Republic Act 9700 or the extended CARP.

This is part of the DAR’s preparation for CARP where Inson emphasized the need to conduct the orientation in order to have a common understanding, interpretation and implementation of the new provisions of the law thus fast track the implementation of the program within the extended time frame.

Undersecretary Jim Coleto of the DAR Central Office discussed the general principles of the law stressing that RA 9700 provides for the continuing acquisition and distribution of agricultural lands for five years simultaneous to delivery of support services and agrarian justice to beneficiaries.

A Congressional Oversight Committee on Agrarian Reform composed of members of the House of Representatives and the Senate will closely monitor the implementation of CARP to ensure the complete distribution of more than one million hectares of agricultural lands nationwide.

The CARPER strengthens the ban on any conversion of irrigated and irrigable lands.

It also institutionalizes reforms recognizing the rights of rural women to become beneficiaries of CARP, to own and control land and a women’s desk is created to take into account their specific needs.

Titles such as emancipation patents and Certificate of Land Ownership Award are “indefeasible and imprescriptible.” The DAR secretary has the exclusive jurisdiction on all cases of CLOA cancellation.

Beneficiaries or their associations have the legal standing and interest to intervene to protect their rights and interest; except for the Supreme Court, no temporary restraining order or writ of preliminary injunction could be issued against DAR.

For support services, P60 billion has been allocated for credit, infrastructure, farm inputs and trainings.

Trainings for beneficiaries will be provided in order to empower and organize beneficiaries into cooperatives. — Jessica Ann R. Pareja/MEEV   (FREEMAN NEWS)