THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) further boosted this year its land for the landless bid, moving closer to Republic Act 9700’s target of acquiring and distributing by 2014 all Philippine agricultural lands under government’s extended Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
Latest available official DAR data show the agency was able to distribute during the first semester 15,302 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) nationwide, private and government agricultural land totaling 28,483 hectares.
Such major land tenure improvement (LTI) accomplishment exceeds the 17,501 hectares of CARP land DAR distributed to 15,414 ARBs during the same period last year.
“This administration will continue fast-tracking land distribution,” assured DAR Secretary Virgilio de los Reyes.
The government earlier set for each of 2010 and 2011 a land distribution target of 200,000 hectares.
DAR’s first semester land distribution performance this year helped bring to 4.30 million hectares, as of June 2011’s end, total land given to ARBs nationwide since 1972 when former president Ferdinand Marcos commenced implementing his agrarian reform program.
Land distribution during the 1972-June 2011 period benefited a total 2.51 million ARBs nationwide, DAR noted.
LTI, agrarian justice delivery (AJD) and program beneficiaries development (PBD) are CARP’s three main pillars.
For its major AJD accomplishment during 2011’s first semester, DAR reported resolving 22,198 agrarian law implementation cases covering 53,969 hectares of land in the country.
The cases affected 21,806 ARBs nationwide, DAR noted.
DAR resolved 22,332 similar cases during the same reference period in 2010.
Throughout 2011’s first semester, DAR also continued providing ARBs various major PBD support services aimed at helping them improve their lives so they can eventually break free from poverty.
Such services range from preparing ARBs for livelihood activities, extending financial assistance for such pursuits as well as facilitating provision of infrastructure and basic services for them.
“It’s expected that as land acquisition and distribution balances decline, PBD activities will increase to serve the needs of ARBs awarded with land,” DAR noted.
To achieve the extended CARP’s target asset reform by 2014, DAR earlier said it must complete distributing 1.102 million hectares of land nationwide.
DAR said it must also subdivide 1.3 million hectares of distributed tracts of land still covered by collective titles but which aren’t conducive to collective farming.
Achieving asset reform likewise requires fast-tracking documentation of and payment for 163,289 hectares of land that’s already distributed, DAR continued.
Aside from land distribution, DAR’s other LTI activities during 2011’s first semester included placing under leasehold operation 5,430 hectares of “tenanted retained and yet to be distributed” tracts of land.
Such move sought to secure the tenurial status of 2,457 ARBs within and outside the country’s agrarian reform communities (ARCs).
For the same reference period last year, DAR reported placing under leasehold arrangement a total 5,250 hectares of similar land tracts in ARCs and non-ARCs, benefiting 2,570 ARBs.
DAR also reported undertaking in 2011 LTI documentation and survey activities as well as installing 1,374 ARBs in 1,792 hectares of previously contentious agricultural land.
The agency installed last year in 1,675 hectares of agricultural land a total 2,004 ARBs who were previously barred from entering and tilling the area.
To further enhance AJD, DAR lawyers represented before judicial and quasi-judicial courts during 2011’s first semester 9,411 ARBs in 5,809 cases involving 19,445 hectares of land.
DAR reported its lawyers represented during the same period in 2010 ARBs in 9,278 cases before judicial and quasi-judicial bodies.
A total 7,033 agrarian cases were resolved under the adjudication process in 2011’s first semester, DAR continued.
“In the area of agrarian legal assistance and adjudication, DAR continued with its aggressive mediation activities to minimize conflicts maturing into court cases,” the agency said.
Of DAR Adjudication Board’s nearly 16,000 cases during the same reference period in 2010, data show a total 7,194 cases were resolved then. [PNA]
