DAR chief forms 5 task forces on CARP

Agrarian Reform Secretary Hernani Braganza has created five task forces to speed up the distribution of agricultural lands to farmers and for equal dispensation of social justice.

"We were able to fast-track the land distribution due to Salin-Lupa task force," he said.

The five task forces are Salin-Lupa, Katarungan, Bayanihan, Modernization and Kapayapaan.

At yesterday’s hearing at the House of Representatives, Braganza said he had ordered a review of all DAR administrative orders on land valuation to prevent any incident similar to last month’s arrest of Land Bank president Margarito Teves.

Braganza told the House committee on justice and agrarian reform that the review is being undertaken to guide the 1,700 agrarian reform officers and adjudicators nationwide.

"Hopefully, after these administrative orders are reviewed, we will be able to respond to any given situation and hasten the release of compensation to former landowners," he said.

Braganza has also ordered an inventory of all agricultural lands falling under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) Law and Presidential Decree No. 27, whose owners have not yet received compensation.

Last May 17, Nueva Ecija agrarian reform adjudicator Napoleon Baguilat ordered Teves arrested after he was said to have failed to order the payment of P75 million to the former owners of some 53 hectares of rice lands in accordance with PD 27.

Baguilat appraised the 53 hectares at P75 million based on the computations contained in the guidelines provided under the CARP.

However, the Land Bank of the Philippines appraised the same lot in accordance with the formula stated in PD 27.

Some 1,000 land valuation cases with the same problem are pending in various agrarian reform adjudication boards and satellite offices nationwide. – Katherine Adraneda