REPORT & PHOTO BY MICHAEL MEDINA
THE regional and provincial offices of the agrarian reform department (DAR) jointly observed the 21st anniversary of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) last June 9.
DAR Reg. Dir. Julita Ragandang and Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer (PARO) Glenn Sabijon led the celebration along with the DAR family.
The observance, according to Sabijon, is meaningful because of the approval of CARP extension for another five years with P147 billion budgetary supports in land acquisition and distribution.
CARP’s extension was contained in Senate Bill 2666 and House Bill 4077. The law expired June 10, 2008.
Sabijon added that the passage of the measure was anticipated by various stakeholders and that with Congress breaking the impasse was a positive response.
Under CARP, some 7.2 M hectares of lands were previously distributed to 4.5 M farmer-beneficiaries, surpassing DAR’s land distribution targets.
Also, about 4.106 million hectares of the total accomplishment were distributed by DAR to 2.387 million beneficiaries. The rest consisted of uplands and ancestral domains distributed likewise by the DENR.
Agrarian Reform Sec. Nasser Pangandaman said his department’s land distribution target was increased from 100,000 hectares to 130,000 hectares and improved the disposition of several agrarian cases.
Meanwhile, DAR-9 Reg. Dir. Julita Ragandang talked on updates on CARP, saying CARP’s extension “is not an easy task ahead of us.”
She added that in Zamboanga Peninsula, for example, about 30,000 hectares are still up for acquisition and re-distribution.
A sportsfest and cheering squad competition will be held this week while a meeting with press members is being scheduled on June 15 and a Kumustahan sa mga ARCs on the next day until the 18th wherein used clothing will be distributed to beneficiaries.
An Essay writing and oratorical contest is also slated during the DAR Employees Association Week on June 20-26.
Governor Aurora Cerilles was the invited speaker during the affair.