Gov’t urged: Don’t extend CARPER

MANILA, Philippines - The government has been asked to stop the proposed Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms (CARPER) through Republic Act 9700.

Landowners and agrarian reform beneficiaries believe that an in-depth study is necessary to determine whether the program has fulfilled its mission.

The CARPER expired last June 30 but the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) persuaded President Aquino to certify as urgent a bill extending the program for two more years to complete land acquisition and distribution.

Earlier, Presidential Agrarian Reform Council member Eduardo Hernandez said many fear that extending CARPER would be detrimental to the country’s agricultural productivity, global competitiveness and food security because of the changing demands of a globalizing economy and the opening up of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations free trade zone.

Stakeholders had expressed opposition to extend CARPER, saying the government has failed to comply with the law.

They said DAR personnel had been involved in anomalous land acquisition and distribution cases as certificates of land ownership were allegedly issued to non-beneficiaries.

An agrarian reform lawyer, who asked not to be named, said DAR has failed to provide farmers and landowners the necessary support services specified in the law.

“As a result, farmers were not able to make productive use of the lands awarded to them and they remained impoverished. Because of their dire circumstances, many beneficiaries had leased or disposed of their lands,” the lawyer said.

DAR had been implicated in the Malampaya Fund scam where some P900 million were channeled to non-government organizations linked to alleged pork barrel mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.