Sloppy
Agrarian Reform
Implementation Fails The Filipinos
The weekly Kapihan on
July 4, 2015 featured the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and Land Bank of
the Philippines (LBP). The occasion marked the 27th CARP and 8th Carper
anniversary, a centerpiece program of the late Pres. Corazon C. Aquino. RA 6657
known as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988 expanded coverage to all
types of agricultural lands regardless of crops and tenurial arrangement.
DAR staff members
include: Ms. Teresa C. Valencia, OIC PARPO II, Valentino B. Magante PARPO I,
Ernesto T. Anino, Chief PBO Division, Joselito N, Inguin, Chief LTI Division,
Teresita Grace Quimpo, DAR and MAROs_Melpa O. Madriaga, Efren A. Rebustes,
Eufrosino R. Ratay and Marissa O. Mendoza. Lone guest from LBP is Ms. Vina Ong
Quimpo.
Agrarian reform in the
province of Aklan started in 1974 when the entire country was declared by Pres.
Ferdinand Marcos as land reform area pursuant to PD 27. The early emphasis of
the program was Operation Land Transfer, tenurial improvement and leasehold
arrangement. This was subsequently followed by issuance of Presidential
Decrees, Executive Orders especially Nos. 227, 2228 and 129-A, RA 9700 (CARPER)
has been fully implemented by DAR Aklan to realize the vision where there is
equitable land ownership and empowered agrarian reform beneficiaries.
Key program components
are: a) Land tenure improvement which seeks to improve the tenurial status of
the farmers and farm workers of the land they till. As of June 30, 2015, DAR
Report stated; out of 23, 773 hectares. The working scope accomplishment is 93
per cent involving 23, 320 farmer beneficiaries; b) Agrarian justice has two
features: the Agrarian legal assistance and adjudication of cases. With legal
assistance, 90 cases were received and all resolved. In adjudication, there
were 4, 230 cases received and accomplishment of 99 per cent, and c) Program
beneficiaries development- is the support services mainly technical, financial
and infra to power agrarian reform beneficiaries.
Presently, there are 15
Agrarian Reform Communities (ARC’s) organized in 14 municipalities that include
5, 002 households. Completed farm to market roads (FMR) has a total length of
103.4 kms. costing P213.9 million. There are 11 completed irrigation projects
with 1,918.3 has service area costing
P80.4 million. Four bridges have been completed with length of 131.8 linear
meters which cost P7.86 million. Foreign assisted projects particularly by
Asian Development Bank and Japan International Cooperation Agency totaled 210
projects at a cost of P304.3 million.
Leonera Mameng and Mr.
Casidsid, Chairman and Vice Chairman respectively of Malay ARC wholeheartedly
endorsed the program being a beneficiary of P14 million FMR, a bridge, and post
harvest facility. Their cooperative is engaged in a P3 million piggery project
funded by LBP. In the planning stage is a soft broom project that would enhance
family income of members.
Ms. Quimpo said that
LBP is implementing Sikat Saka targeting members of Irrigaters Association
under the Food Staples Sufficiency Program. Individual production loan is P37,
000 per hectare for inbred and P42, 000 for hybrid. The interest rate is 15 per
cent per annum, crop assurance payable by Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. The
requirements are application form, 1 x 1 ID picture, endorsement of NIA,
approved farm plan and budget, attendance in Credit Worthiness Seminar and
Purchase Order from NFA.
In the 1970’s DAR had a
concept of economic family size farm where a farmer beneficiary could
effectively plan, manage and produce enough for a family of 5 members. The area
determined was 3.0 hectares where farming system could be integrated or
diversified. More or less the farmer or fisher folk has the capability to adopt
modern farming practices on sustainable basis and acquire small farm equipments
like turtle power tiller, rice thresher, and irrigation pump.
With the implementation
of CARP, the above program or concept was scrapped and replaced by ill defined
objective that farmers owning less than 3.0 hectares can be emancipated from
poverty and want. DAR with serious budgetary constraints could not provide
technical and financial support services to its millions of clienteles.
Practically handing a
Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) to a beneficiary covering 0.8
hectare is a sure formula for failure and perpetual poverty. This is the reason
why two-thirds of our farming population in the Philippines is in poverty
simply because farms are heavily fragmented. In Ibajay where 2 ARC’s exist, the
average beneficiary has only 0.5 hectare. to cultivate. Evidently DAR has made
a mockery of the Filipino dream.
Family Income and
Expenditures Survey conducted by PSA show that only 35 per cent of families
fall below the poverty line. However, ARC’s have 54 per cent of households
below the poverty line. Reason: essential support services like livelihood,
portable water power, school, health center, post harvest facility, irrigation
and FMR are nowhere to be found.
In developed economies
like Japan, South Korean and Taiwan, farmers with managerial expertise need at
least 1.5 ha. to become stable and prosperous. Those with less area available
had to lease or integrate the land with other active practicing farmers. The
process is called land consolidation and proven very successful in raising
living standard in rural areas.
Farms engage in sugar
cane, rubber, palm oil, cassava, coffee, cacao, bananas and pineapple
production must be allowed to expand in order to achieve economies of scale.
Fragmenting farms results only to underproduction and huge overhead expenses.
Result: importation of sugar from Australia, Thailand or Cuba where their
prices are much lower than ours. What a
mess we have created in our sloppy handling of agrarian reform. Instead of
progression we reap retrogression.
Dr. Raul V. Fabella of
UP School of Economics and also National Scientist recommends that more
productive farms should now be allowed legally to own and cultivate 10.0 has.
or more as market efficiency dictates. Agrarian reform should rather be short-2
years instead of 3 decades and limited only to rice and corn.
Presently our farmers
are aging and sickly at 57 years old, Grade IV and deeply mired in poverty.
Youth aren’t interested in farming for reasons stated above. Who will take up
the cudgels of providing food for our hungry mouths? We demand answers from our
elected officials, concerned agencies and NGO’s. /MP
