State of the Philippine Agrarian Reform Program

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STATE OF THE PHILIPPINE AGRARIANREFORM PROGRAM

Final examination in Economics 1Room 6425:31-6:31

Submitted by:

Cresanelle Polo

Cyrel Carrillo

Hope SuicoRyan Miguel MejiasJoemar Estember

Submitted to :

Mr. Ceferino Manigos



INTRODUCTION ³Tuwid na Daan´ or the Straight Path is a phrase repeatedly mentioned by President Benigno S. Aquino IIIto pertain to his governance direction for the country.

Essential to this concept of ³Tuwid na Daan´ is the battle cry ³Kung Walang Corrupt, Walang Mahirap.´ The

administration believes that corruption is the root cause of the country¶s woes, and eliminating corruption

will necessarily lead to renewed investor confidence, eventual growth and development, poverty reduction,and attainment of peace.The straight path, however, does not only pertain to the President¶s anti-corruption campaign. It alsoencompasses a way of doing things right, where the process is participatory; the programs are holistic;growth is sustained; the peace policy is comprehensive; and development is sustainable. Through the livingexamples of our leaders, led by the President, this re-awakened sense of right and wrong continues to betranslated to economic value.

Before going to the main purpose of this report which is to inform the readeron the present state of the Philippine Agrarian Reform Program for the year2011, let¶s tackle first the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.

Comprehensive Agrarian Reform- Birth, Struggle & Future

The Philippine comprehensive agrarian reform program (CARP) was envisioned

shortly after the Filipino liberation from martial rule in 1986. It was designed to free

the majority of the Filipino poor from the bondage of the soil by making them

owners of the land they till. It also aims to grant economic-size land to the landless.

Comprehensive enough, it covers farmers¶ education, skills training and strong

farmers' organization, application of improved technology, and support by the

government.

The 1987 Philippine Constitution provides in Article 14, Sec. 4.that:

The State shall, by law, undertake an agrarian reform program founded on the right of

farmers and regular farm workers, who are landless, to own directly or collectively the

lands they till or, in the case of other farm workers, to receive a just share of the fruits

thereof. To this end, the State shall encourage and undertake the just distribution of all

agricultural lands, subject to such priorities and reasonable retention limits as the congress

may prescribe, taking into account ecological, developmental, or equity considerations, and

subject to the payment of just compensation. In determining retention limits the State,

shall respect the right of small landowners, The State shall further provide incentives for

voluntary land-sharing.

The overriding idea under the Philippine constitution is the preservation of the concept of an ³economic family-size farm´ as embodied in the past landreform laws. ( the law prescribes 3 hectares to be a family size farm enoughto sustain a family) It is also important to note that ownership bybeneficiaries can be individually or collectively. Even in collective ownershiphowever, the constitutional mandate is to preserve the control of the tiller



over the land a farmer tills. This is so because, agrarian reform is essentiallya land-to-the-tiller program; it is based on the right of farmers and regular

farm workers to own the lands they till. (pp. 1200-1201 The1987Constitution of the Philippines, A Commentary; 2003 Edition by Rev. Fr.Joaquin G. Bernas, S.J.)

In the pursuit of the above constitutional provision, the COMPREHENSIVEAGRARIAN REFORM LAW (CARL), R.A. 6657 was signed into law by PresidentCorazon Aquino on June 9, 1988.The soul of CARL, R.A. 6657 is embodied inSection 2 which is reproduced below.

SECTION 2. Declaration of Principles and Policies. - It is the policy of theState to pursue a Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). The

welfare of the landless farmers and farm workers will receive the highest

consideration to promote social justice and to move the nation towards

sound rural development and industrialization, and the establishment of owner cultivatorship of economic-sized farms as the basis of Philippine

agriculture.

To this end, a more equitable distribution and ownership of land, with dueregard to the rights of landowners to just compensation and to the ecological

needs of the nation, shall be undertaken to provide farmers and farm

workers with the opportunity to enhance their dignity and improve the

quality of their lives through greater productivity of agricultural lands.

The agrarian reform program is founded on the right of farmers and regular

farm workers, who are landless, to own directly or collectively the lands they till or, in the case of other farm workers, to receive a share of the fruitsthereof. To this end, the State shall encourage the just distribution of all agricultural lands, subject to the priorities and retention limits set forth in

this Act, having taken into account ecological, developmental, and equity

considerations, and subject to the payment of just compensation. The State

shall respect the right of small landowners and shall provide incentives for voluntary land-sharing.

The State shall recognize the right of farmers, farm workers and landowners,

as well as cooperatives and other independent farmers' organization, to participate in the planning, organization, and management of the program,

and shall provide support to agriculture through appropriate technology and

research, and adequate financial, production, marketing and other support

services.

The State shall apply the principles of agrarian reform or stewardship,

whenever applicable, in accordance with law, in the disposition or utilization



of other natural resources, including lands of the public domain, under lease

or concession, suitable to agriculture, subject to prior rights, homestead

rights of small settlers and the rights of indigenous communities to their ancestral lands.The State may resettle landless farmers and farm workers in

its own agricultural estates, which shall be distributed to them in the manner

provided by law.

By means of appropriate incentives, the State shall encourage the formation

and maintenance of economic-sized family farms to be constituted by

individual beneficiaries and small landowners.The State shall protect the rights of subsistence fishermen, especially of local communities, to the preferential use of communal marine and fishingresources, both inland and offshore. It shall provide support to such

fishermen through appropriate technology and research, adequate financial,

production and marketing assistance and other services, The State shall also

protect, develop and conserve such resources. The protection shall extend tooffshore fishing grounds of subsistence fishermen against foreign intrusion.

Fishworkers shall receive a just share from their labor in the utilization of

marine and fishing resources.

The State shall be guided by the principles that land has a social function

and land ownership has a social responsibility. Owners of agricultural land

have the obligation to cultivate directly or through labor administration the

lands they own and thereby make the land productive.

The State shall provide incentives to landowners to invest the proceeds of

the agrarian reform program to promote industrialization, employment and privatization of public sector enterprises. Financial instruments used as payment for lands shall contain features that shall enhance negotiability and acceptability in the marketplace.

The State may lease undeveloped lands of the public domain to qualified

entities for the development of capital-intensive farms, traditional and pioneering crops especially those for exports subject to the prior rights of

the beneficiaries under this Act.

The intent of the Philippine Constitution and R.A. 6657 is crystal clear: thepromotion of social justice through an equitable distribution of land bymaking it easier for the disadvantaged to be able to acquire land. Agrarianreform is meant to reduce inequalities as social justice demands. And in itspursuit, land is to be taken for redistribution to the landless. In the processof taking, the law provides for just compensation. As suggested by Rev.Father Joaquin Bernas. S.J.,just compensation should depend on the



farmers¶ ability to pay and not on the standard fair market value or it will notbe in accord with the thrust of the law. Fr. Bernas cited land reform in Japanwhere just compensation was dictated by law and amounted to less than themarket value In Japan, according to him, land reform embodied recognitionof the reality that expropriation for land reform was not eminent domain

pure and simple, but also exercise of police power which necessarily entailsloss on the part of those regulated. An analogous situation he said, is thepolice power of the state to impose price control on essential commoditiesfor the benefit of the public but at the expense of the sellers. ( pp. 1203-1205, Bernas)

The COMPREHENSIVE AGRARIAN REFORM PROGRAM (CARP) under CARLhas a 10-year implementation period. It is expiring this year, 2008, after asecond extension. The report of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR)shows that from July, 1987 to December, 2004, it has only 75% rate of

ccomplishment. Out of the 4,676,017 hectares of targeted privateagricultural land, only 3,499,790 have been distributed. Approximately1.2Million hectares remain untouched.

Furthermore, according to the University of the Philippines, Los Baños Micro

Study, 2007, 75% of the farmer beneficiaries till their land and improve theirlives despite palpable lack of support from the government. These farmersare left with the burden of generating capital and are oftentimes forced tomake use of their Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) as collateralsfor loans.

Among the other problems obstructing the success of land reform in thePhilippines are: ³problematic´ landholdings, such as areas with missingtitles, erroneous technical descriptions, and court disputes; insufficient fundsfor land acquisition and support services. Protest and oppositions by biglandowners is a big stumbling block as well. Furthermore, dissatisfaction onthe part of the farmer beneficiaries is another blot on the program. Theheading of Philippine Daily Inquirer Mindanao (02/10/2008) says: ³Farmers

awarded CARP lands seek way out of µbad deals¶.´ The 662 farm workers of the 3,900-hectares Guthrie Estates in San Francisco, Agusan del Sur, NegrosOccidental found the deal so onerous as they have not been receiving

enough share from the produce of the land assigned to them under a

cooperative structure. The farmers have been protesting and negotiating forbetter arrangements. One cooperative member warned: ³If they will notlisten to us, blood will spill over in our land. We have been long deadanyway.´

Ironically, CARP suffered a setback during the term of President CorazonAquino. Hacienda Luisita, the Aquino family's own 6,000- hectare estate was



exempted from distribution. The hacienda was placed under what is termedthe corporative scheme where the farmers were given shares of stocks and

instead of owning the land they till, they receive dividends from the netprofit of the operation of the hacienda as one intact landholding.

A lot more is necessary to implement CARP effectively even at this timewhen the program period is at its tail end. Among them are: decisiveness onthe part of government to implement the law against the mighty andpowerful landowners; strict safeguards against land-use conversion;sufficient amount and better management of funds; stronger community-based organization; creative and effective programs for big landholdings.

There is an ongoing massive call for CARP extension to be coupled withreforms and more decisive land distribution. On the other hand, landownersare pointing to the flaws and failures of CARP as a basis for terminating the

program. Since the birth of CARP, they have been deriding its existence,have been exerting efforts to thwart its implementation and plotting ways todefeat the spirit of land reform.

Farmers now pin their hopes on House Bill No. 3059, or the proposed ³Genuine Agrarian Reform Act of 2007´. It was filed by representatives of party-list groups Anakpawis, Bayan Muna and Gabriela Women¶s Party. Thebill seeks to distribute land for free and expand agrarian reform coverage toall agricultural lands in the country.

According to the former DAR Secretary Butch Abad, agrarian reform will not

succeed if government and business sector will not do their part. And hebelieves that poverty and social conflict such as the secession movement aredue to landlessness to a significant degree. According to Sec. Abad, thepresent state of things show land reform has failed. Tenants can not beowner-cultivator and farm manager overnight. After acquiring the farm, theyneed training, support services, capital. One proof that agrarian reform isnot yet a success is that countless farmers have not been given a piece of the land as yet.

From the official website of the government we gather

some bits of information and here they are«



http://www.gov.ph/2011/07/25/the-2011-state-of-the-nation-address-technical-

report/

The 2011 State of the Nation Address Technical Report

3.2 Completed projects to strengthen the agricultural sector 3.2.1. Under the continuing regular fund from the DA, a total of 1,814 kilometers of Farm to Market Roads

(FMRs) were completed from July 2010 to May 2011, out of the targeted 2,567 kilometers. In addition, 687

kms more FMRs were completed under the locally-funded and foreign assisted projects. Overall, a total of 2,501 kms of completed FMRs provide better access to markets and social services and boost economicactivities by allowing goods and products to flow in and out of the barangays. FMRs also help reduce

transport costs, spoilage and deterioration of quality of agricultural products, and facilitate delivery of farm

inputs.3.2.2. From July 2010 to June 2011, a total of 65 tramlines were completed connecting remote areas to

FMRs. A total of 67 agricultural tramlines were completed since project start-up in 2009, which is 63% of the targeted 107 units to be completed by December 2011. The use of these tramlines cuts the cost of hauling by half from P2 to P1 per kilogram of produce and reduces hauling time significantly from hours to just a few minutes.

Inaugurated on 13 April 2011 at Twin Peaks, Tuba, Benguet, a 400-meter tramline has reduced haulingtime from 2 hours to five minutes. Farmers pay P1 per kilo of produce to cover the cost of diesel fuel,engine maintenance and other repairs and allowance for the tramline operator.

On 25 February 2011, a tramline built by DA-Philmech at a cost of P1.6 million was inaugurated in La Paz,Zamboanga City, a barangay located 970 meters above sea level. A 370 meter distance between the

barangay and the closest national road used to take 12 hours to traverse. With the tramline, travel time

over this distance has been reduced to three minutes. A local group, the La Paz Farmers¶ Associationoperates the tramline collecting a fee of one peso for a load of 350 kilos of corn and vegetables.3.2.3. All in all, in the first 11 months of the Aquino Administration (July 2010 to May 2011), 11,611hectares of new areas were irrigated, 40,053 hectares were restored, and 171,910 hectares were

rehabilitated both for current and carry over projects. Restoration entails repairing the irrigation facility thatis currently not functional while rehabilitation means upgrading or improving the facility, which is currentlyworking but has not attained the maximum or designed irrigation efficiency.3.2.4. Put up the following post-harvest facilities:y

One hundred eighty seven (187) food terminals from July 2010 to April 2011benefiting 1,155 small farmers and fishers. These food terminals provide affordable

basic food commodities to around 457,859 households who are able to save notonly from low-priced commodities but also from cuts in transportation expenses andreduction of middlemen costs. The savings on transportation cost ranges from P8±P200 for every trip to the market.

y Thirteen (13) or 68% of the targeted 19 Corn Post Harvest Trading Centers(CPHTC) in major corn producing areas nationwide. These centers ensure

continuous supply of corn even during the wet season, guarantee premium quality,and open opportunity for other investments in the corn industry.



y A total of 1,342 small scale composting facilities in the different regions nationwide,

reaching 100% of the target, and generating 5,368 jobs. This forms part of thegovernment¶s promotion of organic farming through the Organic Fertilizer

Production Project, which will enable farmers to produce their own organic fertilizer to reduce dependence on expensive synthetic fertilizers.

y

A total of 56 units of flatbed dryers from July 2010 to April 2011, attaining 100% of the target and generating 402 jobs. These will reduce post-harvest losses during

the drying stage of palay and ensure quality drying during the rainy season.y Four (4) cold chain facilities[20] from July 2010 to May 2011 would enable farmers

of high value crops to store their fruits and vegetables in the appropriatetemperature and prolong the quality and shelf life of perishable crops, obtaining for the farmers a better selling price for their produce. These facilities were turned over to three (3) cooperatives in Benguet, Palayan City, and San Jose City, benefiting

139 farmers.y Ten (10) units of Village-Type post-harvest facilities as of June 2011, in key corn

production areas and strategic demand sites nationwide. Thirty-one (31) more units

are expected to be completed and operational by the end of 2011.

3.3. Fostered a culture of self-reliance3.3.1 Some of the strategies under the Food Staple Self-Sufficiency program include the termination of direct input subsidies to farmers and front-loading of irrigation investments in 2012 and 2013 to increaseoutput as early as possible, thus decreasing the need to import rice. These actions are already bearing fruit

as seen in the bumper crop harvest from January to March 2011.3.3.2 The country¶s rice importation dropped significantly by 80% from an import volume of 2.02 million MTfrom July 2009 to June 2010 to 386,243 MT from July 2010 to June 2011. The decrease in volume of actualrice import arrivals can be attributed to the good harvest and the comfortable stock position of the country.

Likewise, rice shipments were scheduled better. From here on, NFA buffer stocks will consist mainly of palay purchased from local farmers²a long standing demand of the rice farmers. From January to June

2011, the government through the NFA has procured some P7.64 billion worth of palay from all over the

country. This is 16% of the NFA stock. The NFA targets to increase this volume from the harvest from themain cropping season later this year.The total rice imported in 2010 was 2.38 million MT. For 2011, the government shall import 64% less or

860,000 MT, with 200,000 MT imported by the government, and 660,000 MT by the private sector. For 2012, rice imports shall further decline to 500,000 MT, with 100,000 MT imported by the government and400,000 MT imported by the private sector.3.3.2. The government was able to increase the average farm gate price of palay by 2.89% within a shortperiod, thereby immediately increasing the farmer¶s income. Strategic reserves and placements made itpossible for the price of rice to remain stable, thereby assuring the affordability and availability of rice to thepublic.3.3.3. Production in the crops subsector was also up by 8.19% and the main contributors were palay, corn,sugarcane, and banana. The country has regained its status as net sugar exporter for the current cropyear, having recovered from the sugar shortage in 2009-2010 when the country imported raw and refined

sugar.



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THE Department Agrarian Reform (DAR) prevailed upon the House of Representatives during the plenary hearing

Wednesday for its 2012 budget, thanks largely to Pampanga Rep. Anna York C. Bondoc, who took the cudgels for

the agency and pulled it off with poise even as she endured almost six hours of grilling from her colleagues

Bondoc, who stood as the sponsor for DAR¶s budget, eloquently justified its P18.3-billion proposed budget, saying

that the agency, despite operating on lean budget each year in the past, has managed to deliver the tasks expected

of it.

³How much more if DAR is provided with sufficient funds,´ Bondoc said even as she rallied her fellow lawmakers to

come in support of DAR, which is in dire need for more funds to complete the distribution of some 1 million hectares

of agricultural lands and deliver much-needed support services in the form of basic rural infrastructure projects and

skills development program.

The DAR said that P10 billion of its total budget for next year will go to land tenure¶s improvement, which include

landowners¶ compensation; P7.3 billion to program beneficiaries¶ development made up of support services in the

form of basic rural infrastructure projects and skills development program; and P1 billion to agrarian justice delivery.

Bondoc found an ally in the course defending the department¶s budget through former DAR Secretary-turned-partylist

representatives Nasser Pangandaman of the AA Kasosyo Partylist.

Pangandaman sought the replenishment of the credit facility in the DAR¶s budget, which was left unfunded, to enable

the agency to serve the needs of farmer-beneficiaries for much-needed capital for farm inputs.



Coop-Natcco Partylist Rep. Cresente Paez joined Pangandaman in his move, saying that the lack of capital is one of

the major obstacles to improving the lives of farmer-beneficiaries, most of them are forced to approach loan sharks

for farm inputs.

Bondoc agreed with Pangandaman and Paez on the need to restore the budget for credit facility and even asked

them to join her in lobbying the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) about it. She said she would furnishthe DBM with minutes of what had transpired during the budget hearing at the plenary to give it an insight on the

issue.

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The warning is dire. Scientists say that even if the earth¶s hot temperature on global warming is reduced significantly

in the coming years, climate change impacts such as droughts, floods, and other severe weather events are likely to

result in food shortages, increase in water and air-borne diseases, infrastructure damage and the of natural

resources degradation.

To help farmers adapt to these inevitable eventualities, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in cooperation with

the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation & Development (or GIZ) recently conducted a five-day seminar-

workshop on ³Climate Proofing for Development: Practical application for agrarian reform communities´ at the

Century Park Hotel in Malate, Manila.



The GIZ, Adaptation to Climate Change & Conservation of Biodiversity (ACCBio) trainers and the Phil. Atmospheric

Geophysical & Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) presented to DAR studies made on the ill effects of

climate change on farms and farming communities in the country.

Undersecretary for Special Programs & Agrarian Relations Rosalina Bistoyong said the seminar-workshop seeks to

understand and learn how to adapt to the climate changes and integrate it in development plans for agrarian reformcommunities.

³We at DAR believe that we cannot delay making adaptation plans and actions to ensure that maladaptation [by

farmers] will not worsen adverse climate change effects and impede their sustainable development,´ said Bistoyong.

³Climate adaptation ways like planting trees, composting, using bio-friendly fertilizers, organic farming, are just some

of the ways the farmers can use to help mitigate climate change,´ said Corrine Canlas of GIZ.

³With the climate change impacts we have been experiencing like floods, typhoons and the el niño and la niña

phenomena, implementers need to learn the ways and means to adapt to these [eventualities], so that they can put

strategies to add development plans for farmers in the agrarian reform communities,´ added Canlas.

Bistoyong said that the implementers will also teach farmers measures to avoid the bad effects of chemicals on the

environment and contribute in minimizing global warming.

³This course will help our implementers in making necessary developments plans so that our farmers will be able to

cope, adapt and sustain their livelihood in the face of climate change,´ Bistoyong said.

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CABUCGAYAN, BILIRAN ± Rice production and farmers¶ income in this fifth class municipality are

expected to increase once the rehabilitation of the communal irrigation system (CIS) and a farm-to-marketroad in the area are completed.

Biliran Agrarian Reform Officer Elisea Orapa said rehabilitation works by the National Irrigation

Administration (NIA) started early last month, and is expected to be completed in three months time.

Orapa cited the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), for rehabilitating the 1.7-kilometer

farm-to-market road in Sitio Kasabangan where some 562 meters of this will be concreted for easier and

farther conveyance of farm products to the market.

Eliasem Castillo, Regional Director of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in EasternVisayas, said the projects, courtesy of the Japan International Cooperation Agency-Agrarian

Reform Infrastructure Support Project (JICA-ARISP), would help double farm produce of farmer-beneficiaries in the Balaquid Agrarian Reform Community (ARC).



Castillo added that the two projects cost about P8-million, with the local government unitproviding 50 percent as its counterpart equity.

Ismael Aya-ay, chief of the Beneficiaries Development Coordinating Division (BDCD) of theDAR-Biliran said that about 60 of the 530 ARBs in the ARC will directly benefit from the

irrigation project, while some 1,686 residents here and in nearby villages will be benefitedby the farm-to-market road.

ARCs are group of barangays with farmers awarded with land titles where there is aconvergence of support services provided by the national and local governments, non-

government organizations and foreign-donor communities.

PROGRAMS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

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The LTI component seeks to secure the tenurial status of the farmers and farmworkers in the lands they till.This is operationalized either through land acquisition and distribution (LAD) and leasehold operations.

LAD involves the redistribution of government and private agricultural lands to landless farmers andfarmworkers. This is the essence of land reform. It secures farmers' tenure, promotes social equity, and

provides them with necessary productive resources needed to ensure their economic viability andproductivity.

Leasehold operations, on the other hand, is the alternative non-land transfer scheme. It covers all tenantedagricultural lands such those in the retained areas, not yet acquired for distribution under CARP, and those

which may be validly covered under existing laws.



With the enactment of RA 9700 or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reformsin 2009, LAD should be completed by June 30, 2014 on a province-by-province basis. All remaining

unacquired and undistributed agricultural lands shall be acquired and distributed as follows:

Phase I (01 July 2009 to 30 June 2012)

y All remaining lands above fifty (50) hectares;

y All private agricultural lands with aggregate landholdings in excess of fifty (50) hectares which have already been issued Notices of Coverage(NOCs) on or before Dec. 10, 2008;

y Rice and corn lands under PD 27; idle and abandoned lands; Voluntary Offer to Sell (VOS) lands;

y All lands foreclosed by government financial institutions (GFIs), PCGG-acquired lands and other government-owned lands;

y Voluntary Land Transfer (VLT) submitted by June 30, 2009 (before effectivity);

y Only VOS & Compulsory Acquisition (CA) are allowed after June 30, 2009;

Phase II-A (01 July 2009 to 30 June 2012)

y All alienable and disposable, arable public agricultural lands;

y All public agricultural lands which are to be opened for new development and resettlement;

y Aggregate above 24-50 hectares issued NOCs on or before 10 December 2008)

Phase II-B (01 July 2012 to 30 June 2013)

y Remaining lands in excess of 24 hectares whether or not issued with NOCs

Phase III-A (01 July 2012 to 30 June 2013)

y 10-24 hectares, insofar as excess of 10 hectares

Phase III-B (01 July 2013 to 30 June 2014) y above 5 hectares to 10 hectares

y Schedule of LAD shall be in accordance with the above order of priority with the ff:

o EXCEPTION: priority land reform areas as declared by PARC (Presidential Agrarian Reform Council) ExCom upon recommendation of the PARCCOM (Provincial Agrarian Reform Coordinating Committee) may be covered in advance provided that prior phases have beencompleted

o Phase III-B (5-10 hectares) shall not be implemented until 90% of the provincial balance as of Jan. 1, 2009 has been completed.

Under RA 6657 or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (from 1987 to June 2009), the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) covered

2,321,064 has. of private agricultural lands and 1, 727, 054 has. non-private agricultural lands covering a total of 4, 049, 018 has. This is

equivalent to 2, 396, 857 ARBs installed. Congruently, under RA 9700 (July 2009 ± December 2010) , 78, 145 has. private agricultural lands and 75, 862 has. of non-private agriculturallands were distributed. This totals to 154,007 has. equivalent to 97, 712 ARBs installed.

Strategic Directions up to 2014

To substantially complete asset reform as mandated by RA 9700, the DAR shall:y Complete land acquisition and distribution (LAD) in the CARPER balance;



y Prioritize the subdivision of collective Certificates of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAs)involving LBP-compensable lands;

y Fast track the documentation and settlement of landowner compensation for alreadydistributed lands;

y

Synergize and rationalize the efforts of the CARP implementing agencies in all processesof LAD;y Partner with the civil society organizations in the delivery of LTI services, particularly the

large-sized private agricultural lands;y Adopt a job-sharing scheme under the ONE-DAR Concept; andy Increase the utilization of the services of geodetic engineers to assist in land acquisition.

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PBD is the support services component of CARP. It aims to capacitate ARBs and provide them access to

the necessary support services to make their lands more productive, enable them to venture in income

generating livelihood projects and actively participate in community governance.

Agrarian reform does not rely on land distribution alone, but also on the delivery of support services,

including farm-to-market roads, bridges, irrigation, post harvest facilities, rural electrification, potable water

supply, school buildings, multi-purpose buildings; extension services, credit assistance, and trainings.

y 709,187 ARBs fully served under the foreign-assisted projects

y 7,170 infrastructure projects

y 976 communal irrigation projects completed y 3018 functional ARB-organizations operate (ALDA Level 3,4,5)

y 316,610 ARB members are already managing their own farm & non-farm enterprises

Support services delivered through the Foreign Assisted Projects (FAPs) and Agrarian Reform Fund (ARF):

y 13,259 kilometers of FMR

y 226,015 hectares serviced by irrigation systems

y 194 multi-purpose buildings



y 174 bridge projects (10,473 linear meters)

y 428 units of post harvest facilities

y 999 units of potable water systems

Other infrastructure projects provided:

y Health centers, school buildings, flood control, rural electrification,& sanitation systems.

Non-infrastructure programs include: y Demonstration farms, rural micro-enterprises, training of ARB leaders, & health and nutrition

The DAR adopted the development of agrarian reform communities (ARC) in 1993 to

improve the lives of agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs). It was the department's key strategy to

accelerate and sustain economic growth in agrarian reform and rural areas through a people-centered,

holistic and area focused approach in community development.

Since then, the DAR has launched 2,100 ARCs covering 1.2 million of ARBs in 9,076 barangays. Becauseof the size limitation of ARCs and the increasing number of ARBs in need of basic support services, the

DAR expanded the coverage of its support services through the KALAHI (Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan)

Agrarian Reform Zones (KARZones). A KARZone is a contiguous area which embraces both ARC

barangays and non-ARC barangays within the zone.

Strategic Directions up to 2014:

The agrarian reform must be able to lift the ARBs out of poverty and transform them into drivers of rural

economic growth. Land distribution is only the first step. Provision of adequate and timely support services

are impetus to make the awarded lands productive. Thus, PBD priorities for 2012-2014 shall be to:y Undertake convergence initiatives with rural development agencies to complement the resources and

streamline the efforts of DAR and DENR;

y Ink public-private partnerships (PPPs), develop models of collaboration and design business models in the

agrarian reform areas with the participation of the CSOs, academe, research and development institutions

and LGUs;

y Expand the ODA portfolio in order to augment funds for PBD;

y Operationalize the LTI-PBD integration on a province-to-province basis;



y Shift focus of low LAD-balance provinces to PBD; and

y Unlock credit facilities for the agrarian reform beneficiaries through capacity development for

credit providers and farmer-borrowers, providing support to risk mitigating institutions and

making available credit information to credit providers

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Delivery of agrarian justice has two features: the agrarian legal assistance and adjudication of cases. Agrarian legal

assistance is comprised of resolution of agrarian law implementation (ALI) cases, ARB representation before judicial

and quasi-judicial bodies, and mediation and conciliation. On the other hand, Adjudication of cases involves the

resolution of cases by the DAR Adjudication Board (DARAB) and any of its salas.

Under RA 6657, the DAR is vested with the primary jurisdiction to determine and adjudicate agrarian reform matters

and to extend free legal assistance to farmer-beneficiaries affected by agrarian cases. There are three types of cases under this program namely: judicial or court cases, quasi-judicial, and cases related to

agrarian law implementation (ALI). The first two types involve representation of farmers by DAR lawyers before the

regular courts and DAR Adjudication Board, respectively. The third type involves the administrative rendering of

decision on exemption, conversion and retention.

The DAR at present utilizes more aggressive alternative dispute resolution techniques in mediation to reduce

conflicts maturing into court cases. The general objective is to persuade the contending parties to settle their disputes

amicably or out of court before the DAR.

Strategic Directives:

The legal sector intends to provide effective and timely support not only for agrarian reform frontliners in the field of

operations and support services but also for the ARBs. Hence, to speed up the resolution of agrarian-related cases,the sector shall:

y Put the legal framework in place to expedite the LAD process and undertake PBD lawyering;

y Rationalize DAR lawyers¶ and paralegals¶ appreciation and decision on cases by developing common templates and

legal outlines;

y Improve capabilities of DAR lawyers and legal officers to adequately address AR challenges; and

y Tap information and communication technology to enhance legal work.



Documents

State of the Philippine Agrarian Reform Program