200,000-ha target attainable, says DAR chief

MANILA, Philippines – Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman said Wednesday that the 200,000-hectare land distribution target the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) set for the year is attainable, thanks largely to Congress for restoring the controversial compulsory acquisition scheme and for increasing the budget for land reform.

“The restoration of the compulsory acquisition as one of the modes for acquiring lands for distribution under the Republic Act 9700, also known as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program extension with reform (CARPer) law boosts the morale of our field implementers to pursue land distribution program more vigorously,” Pangandaman said.

The RA 9700 amended certain provisions of the RA 6657, further strengthening the CARP, while instituting necessary reforms to make the program conform to the demand of the present time. President Arroyo signed it into law in Plaridel, Bulacan in August last year.

The last time DAR breached the 200,000-hectare mark was in 1997 when the agency distributed 210,126 hectares, the bulk of which were government-owned lands. From 1998, the number gradually decreased until marked improvements were noted starting in 2005 when Pangandaman assumed office, with the highest recorded in 2008 at 146,274 hectares.

As of the first three quarters of 2009, the DAR already distributed about 20,000 hectares of farmlands. The low accomplishment, Pangandaman clarified, could be attributed to a joint Congress resolution passed in December 2008, extending the CARP up to June 30, 2009 but, in so doing, it also scrapped the so-called “teeth” of land distribution — the compulsory acquisitions scheme. Only with the signing of RA 9700 was it restored.

DAR normally resorts to this scheme if and when concerned landowners stubbornly refuse to give up their properties for CARP.

Pangandaman, however, said he remains confident that the DAR could still match, if not surpass, the 85,762-hectare target for 2009 once all data from fields reach the central office for final validation.

This early Pangandaman said he is confident DAR would make a good account for itself in 2010, citing marked improvements in past dealings with landowners, many of them have started cooperating with DAR upon sensing that they could skirt the program after Congress restored the compulsory acquisition scheme in the amended law.

But the key here, according to him, is the Congress’ move to increase CARPer’s budget allocation to P150 billion for the entire five-year extension period. He said the lack of fund has been DAR’s major problem for years.

“Many landowners have resisted the placing of their properties under CARP coverage, not that they don’t like it per se but mainly because of fear that they will not be paid promptly,” Pangandaman said.

He assured landowners that the issue regarding delayed payment of lands taken from them would be a thing of the past. –(The Philippine Star)