DAR open to dialogue with farmers

MANILA, Philippines - The government is open to a dialogue with farmers converging in Metro Manila to demand completion of the agrarian reform program.

Some farmers have set up camp outside the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Quezon City.

Separate rallies will be held to mark the anniversary of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

Farmers are demanding an amendment when the law expires at the end of this month to allow the continuation of CARP Extension with Reforms (CARPER).

Agrarian Reform Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Anthony Parungao said they welcome the opportunity to discuss this issue with the farmers.

“The law allows support services for agrarian reform beneficiaries and the delivery of agrarian justice to proceed beyond June 30, 2014,” he said.

“What was given a deadline was the land acquisition and distribution aspect of the current agrarian reform program. And even in this aspect, Section 30 of Republic Act No. 9700 or CARPER not only allows the DAR to acquire and distribute agricultural lands with pending cases as of June 30, 2014, it also allows the agrarian reform agency to continue to acquire and distribute agricultural lands as long as the process has been initiated prior to the said date.”

The land acquisition and distribution process is initiated through the issuance of a Notice of Coverage (NOC) to the landowner, or the acceptance of the DAR of a landowners’ voluntary offer to sell, Parungao said.

Agrarian Reform Undersecretary for Field Operations Jose Grageda said DAR was able to issue 56,399 NOCs for 520,529 hectares of land subject to compulsory acquisition from 2012 to 2013.

From January to May 20, 2014, DAR was able to issue 11,178 NOCs for 108,216 hectares of land, he added.

Grageda said based on DAR’s current database, only 14,085 NOCs are left to be prepared or served covering 88,962 hectares.