QUEZON CITY -- Amidst the mounting pressures and complex problems in implementing the government's land reform program, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Bicol region would pool all its effort to distribute the remaining balance of 101,377 hectares of agricultural land to landless farmers in the said region.
DAR Bicol Regional Director Rodrigo O. Realubit said the department in this region has a target scope of 442,895 hectares. Of this figure, a total of 341,518 hectares of agricultural land or 77.11% were already distributed throughout the region within a period of 49 years, or since the previous land reform law took effect in 1972.
“However, the remaining area, which is the 101,377 hectares available for distribution were mostly privately owned and more contentious,” he said.
Realubit divulged that the coming years would continue to be incredibly difficult for the department because 47,557 hectares and 17,238 hectares of the total balance are classified as "problematic" and "untitled properties," respectively, thereby delaying their coverage under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
Private lands also include those covered by the operation land transfer program, landed estates, and lands foreclosed by government financing institutions.
He added that "these areas are still under protests or litigation and lack documents and could be touched only by DAR upon resolution of the case or completion of supporting records."
The Regional Chief also said that only 504 hectares of government-owned lands remained untouched and most of it had been distributed in the past decades, which are located in Albay, Camarines Sur, Masbate, and Sorsogon provinces.
“In spite of all the said challenges, we will do our best to achieve a zero-backlog target in terms of land distribution,” he stressed.
In the agency’s accomplishment report, Realubit cited that of the 341,518 hectares of agricultural land distributed, the DAR has already issued about 150,083 emancipation patents (EPS) and certificates of landownership award (CLOAs) to 198,917 Bicolano farmers.
“This resulted from the persistent efforts of the department to provide security of land tenure to landless farmers despite the difficulties in implementing the CARP,” Realubit said.
By province, Camarines Sur came on top, with 125,654 hectares awarded to 74,125 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs). It was followed by Masbate with 70,652 hectares and 34,146 ARBs; Albay with 56,381 hectares and 39,367 ARBs; Camarines Norte with 38,198 hectares and 17,844 ARBs; Sorsogon with 33,421 and 21,265 ARBs; and Catanduanes has already completed all its distributable agricultural lands of 14,666 hectares with 10,919 ARBs benefitting from its land distribution program.
Realubit shared that a total of 351 agrarian reform beneficiary organizations (ARBOs) have been organized regionwide to enable farmer-members to continue gaining access to a convergence of support services from various agrarian reform implementing agencies, donor communities, local government units, and non-government organizations.
“These support services include skills and livelihood training programs, access to credit, health, technology transfer, irrigation, multi-purpose buildings, food processing centers with tools and instruments, and farm machinery,” he added.
He said the DAR, through CARP, financed farm-to-market road and bridge construction projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways; credit programs of the Land Bank of the Philippines; skills training of the Department of Trade and Industry; irrigation projects of the National Irrigation Administration; and agri-production training and livestock distribution of the Department of Agriculture. (DAR)
