DAR poised to distribute idle lands

The national government has resolved to distribute 140,000 hectares of government idle lands for use by the needy farmers.

This was announced by Department of Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones during last Monday’s Second Farmers’ and Fishermen’s Summit held at the Orani multi-purpose gym. IGREG REFRACCION

Bataan Second District Congresswoman Geraldine B. Roman initiated the forum to hear complaints and other concerns of hundreds of farmers and fishermen in the province’s six municipalities of Morong, Dinalupihan, Hermosa, Orani, Samal and Abucay.

Secretary Castriciones announced during the open forum that some 4.8 million hectares of lands have been distributed throughout the country through the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) wherein 2.8 million farmers benefited from it.

The DAR, however, has yet to distribute 328,000 hectares of land under the CARP scheme which is about to end by year 2022.
Castriciones said under the DAR program, the agency is mandated to parcelize or subdivide idle lands through application for loan to finance the surveying process. The purpose of this program, Castriciones said, is to give individual farmer title to a land “so that they can apply for a loan with the Landbank.”

Roman said it is about time farmers and fishermen are empowered to improve their capacity to increase productivity. “In other countries, farmers are proud owners of flashy cars, the fishermen own modern boats to catch fish,” she said.

Roman said she filed House Bill 4625 or the “Filipino Farmers Act” to empower farmers to improve their produce so that Filipinos would not just depend on imported rice.

Roman said she was not happy with the farmers being always at the mercy of unscrupulous rice traders who manipulate rice prices. “Hindi ito katanggap-tanggap,” she bewailed.This is why she also filed House Bill 05071, An Act Mandating the National Food Authority (NFA) To Establish Drying Facilities. She suggested that a palay buying station be put in every province to afford farmers to sell their produce at reasonable price.

DAR Undersecretary Emily Padilla who sounds critical of the government program on land reform program said: “Ano ba talaga ang kalagayan ng ating magsasaka after 33 years of CARP program?”

“After 33 years nasaan ang magsasaka natin?” she asked. “Pag-aralan natin ang direction ng CARP. By 2022, tapos na ang pag distribute ng lupa.” Padilla said.