President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. signs the New Agrarian Emancipation Act which condones P57. 56 billion in debt of 610,054 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) tilling over 1.173 million hectares of land on July 23, 2023 at Malacañang Palace. Witnessing the historic event are Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella lll. (Photo courtesy: House of Representatives/file)
MANILA, (PIA) -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Tuesday, September 12, will grace the presentation of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, also known as Republic Act 11953, at the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) central office in Quezon City.
Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III said this historic occasion marks a significant step towards realizing the goals of the groundbreaking legislation.
Other invited guests include Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, Senator Imee Marcos, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, and Communications Secretary Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil.
Estrella ensured that the seven-man committee responsible for formulating the IRR worked tirelessly to meet the 60-day deadline, which started after the law's enactment on July 23, 2023.
Leading the committee's efforts is DAR Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Napoleon Galit, with Land Bank of the Philippines Executive Vice President Alex Lorayes serving as the Vice Chairperson. Other esteemed members include DAR Undersecretary for Special Concerns and External Affairs Marilyn Barua-Yap, National Irrigation Administration Acting Administrator Eduardo Guillen, Land Registration Administration Administrator Gerardo Sirios, Landbank Vice President Marife Pascua, and Agrarian Reform Undersecretary for Policy Planning and Research Luis Meinrado.
Estrella also highlighted the meticulousness of the IRR formulation process, which he said included extensive public consultations in key agrarian reform communities across Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao to gather invaluable input from stakeholders.
One of the key provisions of the New Agrarian Emancipation Act is the condoning of the debt burden of agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs), a measure estimated to cost P57.57 billion and benefit 610,054 ARBs, covering a vast expanse of 1.17 million hectares of lands.
The government is also committed to assuming the P206,776 balance of obligations for 10,201 ARBs who are cultivating 11,531.24 hectares of agrarian reform lands under the voluntary land transfer and direct payment scheme.
It can be recalled that President Marcos signed the New Agrarian Reform Emancipation Act into law on July 7, 2023 and he emphasized its significance during his second State of the Nation Address. (PIA-NCR)
