ILOILO City – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said he would order a one-year moratorium on land amortization and interest payments to help unburden agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) which are mainly farmers and help them focus on their productivity.
In his recent first State of the Nation Address, Marcos said he intends to issue an executive order for this initiative.
Ilonggo Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) undersecretary Jesry Palmares welcomed the President’s announcement. He said this is a big help to ARBs across the country, including those from Western Visayas that were issued with certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs).
“Waay na sila balayran sa Land Bank of the Philippines,” said Palmares.
“The declaration of the President will take effect soon. This is in preparation for the condonation. From one-year moratorium, next is condonation. Whether it is in 2023 or 2024 that remains to be seen pero ang moratorium will take effect as soon as possible,” said Palmares.
Palmares held a meeting with DAR Region 6 officials on July 26 and discuss concerns related to the implementation of the one-year moratorium in Western Visayas.
Municipal Agrarian Reform Officers (MAROs) will be tasked to validate their list of ARBs.
The total number of ARBs in the region would be known once the validations have been completed.
“Ang gin-awardan sand duta may obligation to pay sa Land Bank of the Philippines. Ang matabo ipa-untat ta na ang bayad. Indi na magbayad. So, waay na sang payments and if qualified sa ulihi, pwede na sila maka-apply for condonation. Pero this time moratorium lang anay, wala pa sang condonation. But we are going towards that,” explained ni Palmares.
Section 26 of Republic Act 6657 or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988 states that lands awarded pursuant to the law shall be paid for by the beneficiaries to the Land Bank of the Philippines in 30 annual amortizations at six percent interest per annum.
“Congress must also pass a law that will emancipate the agrarian reform beneficiaries from the agrarian reform debt burden,” said President Marcos./PN
