Land distribution to continue after CARPER expires –DAR

While June 30, 2014 marked the last day of the effectivity of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms (CARPER) law, the Department of Agrarian Reform assured farmers that land distribution will not stop.

In a phone interview on “News To Go” on Monday, DAR Undersecretary Anthony Parungao clarified that the expiration date applies only to the capacity of the department to issue the Notice of Coverage (NOC), which is handed to landowners to inform them that their land will be placed under the program.

"Mismong ang batas ang nagsasabi na bagama't ngayon ang huling araw para mag-issue ng NOC, nagbibigay-puwang [pa rin ang batas] sa kagawaran para sabihin na kung mayroong nakabinbing kaso o 'di kaya'y sinimulan nang proseso para sa pagsasailalim ng lupain sa programa, ay maari pong ituloy ito hanggang sa matapos at makumpleto bagama't lumampas na sa petsa," he said.

Section 30 of CARPER law, or Republic Act 9700, states that cases on the matter which are still pending on June 30, 2014 "shall be allowed to proceed to its finality and be executed even beyond such date."

Once the NOC is received, or published in dailies, the landowner will have 30 days to contest it, name a beneficiary, or apply for exemption or conversion of their land.

"Ito ang unang hakbang sa mahabang proseso, na umaabot ng walo o siyam na buwan kung walang balakid, para po tuluyang mairehistro ang bagong titulo sa ngalan ng beneficiary na magsasaka at manggagawang bukid, na siyang nangangahulugan na naipamahagi na po 'yung lupain," Parungao said.

He added that they support legislative efforts certified by President Benigno Aquino III that will give them at least a year or two more to issue more NOCs.



32,000 hectares without NOCs

Citing estimates from their office as of June 25, 2014, Parungao said there are some 32,000 hectares of land for which they will not be able to issue NOCs, mostly in Regions II and V and the province of Negros Occidental.

"Technical" reasons contributed to this, he said, such as lost documents and titles for thousands of lands to natural disasters like super typhoon Yolanda.

"Habang tinutulak ang genuine CARP, sinasabi na namin na 'di masasakop lahat ng lupain sa pamamagitan ng pag-issue ng NOC," he said. "Kaya kailangan para 'di malagay sa alanganin ang pobreng magsasaka na magbigay-palugit sa pag-issue ng NOC. Dahil sa mga teknikal na suliranin ito, na inaayos naman namin, talagang 'di matatapos lahat."

Meanwhile, they have sent out NOCs for some 46,000 hectares, for which they are awaiting word if they were received by landowners or published in the dailies.

Earlier this year, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) asked Aquino to extend CARP until the end of his term in 2016, while lamenting the government's so-called underperformance in land acquisition and distribution.

The bishops said that from July 2010 to June 2013, the DAR was able to provide NOCs for only 314,422 hectares of land, against the original CARP balance of 1.2 million hectares.

Protest

With the last day of the CARPER law, the head office of DAR in Quezon City decided to cancel operations after militant farmers barricaded the building, blocking the entrance of employees.

"Hinarang po lahat ng entrance gates [at] access points dito po sa aming tanggapan," Parungao said. "Kaya minabuti na po naming ideklarang walang pasok dahil gusto rin naming siguraduhin ang kaligtasan at seguridad ng aming mga kasama, at manatili ang kaayusan sa aming lugar."

However, operations at the provincial and regional offices are still ongoing, he said, particularly in line with NOC issuances. —Rose-An Jessica Dioquino/KBK, GMA New