ILOILO City – Agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Western Visayas are among the many farmers across the country now free from land debts, thanks to the New Agrarian Emancipation Act. But the ARBs are being reminded to cultivate their lands and make them productive, not sell them.
The new law (Republic Act 11953), signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on July 7, 2023, condones all loans, including interests, penalties and surcharges, incurred by ARBs from land awarded to them under three agrarian reform laws – Presidential Decree (PD) 27, RA 6657 and RA 9700.
PD 27 is the Tenant Emancipation Decree of the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., issued on Oct. 21, 1972. RA 6657 is the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988 during the administration of then President Corazon Aquino while RA 9700 is the legislation extending the acquisition and distribution of agricultural lands under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
“Ang tanan nga gintagaan sang lupa ila na gid. Indi na sila maghulat sang another 10 to 20 or 30 years to own it. Maobra na nila ila gusto kag sa ila na gid ngalan ang duta. Wala na sila obligasyon magbayad,” Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) undersecretary Jesry Palmares told Panay News.
Under the existing agrarian laws, ARBs must pay for the lands awarded to them in annual amortization for a maximum of 30 years.
“Ini naghatag sang kabudlay sa tawo nga waay sang inogbayad, especially kon pigado man ang pangabuhi,” said Palmares.
In a report by the Department of Finance, many bank accounts of ARBs became “dormant” because they could not pay their mortgages.
RA 11953 covers P57.56 billion in agrarian arrears, benefiting 610,054 ARBs who are tilling a total of 1,173,101.57 hectares of awarded land.
Under this new agrarian law, instead of giving Certificates of Land Ownership Awards (CLOA), ARBs will be given land titles.
Palmares, however, clarified that the DAR has yet to make the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, and giving out land titles is only the first step.
The second step would be providing support services to ARBs such as farm equipment, planting materials and fertilizers. Before this, ARBs should organize themselves and register with their respective Municipal Agriculture Offices (MAOs).
Cultivate, not sell
Part of the program is giving support services to ARBs so they can sustain and cultivate the land.
Palmares said despite having the land, many ARBs cannot afford farm materials and inputs needed to till their land.
With the emancipation program, Palmares said, ARBs have no more reason to sell their land titles.
“Tanan nga farmers nga gintagaan sang titul, obligado magpanguma. Indi puede nga indi pag-obrahan….Kon indi pag-umahon kag ibaligya ya, bawion sang gobyerno kag ihatag sa interesado nga magpanguma,” said Palmares.
The new agrarian law, according to Palmares, also aims to support food security where the yield produced by farmers such as rice, vegetables, high-value crops, coconut, and sugarcane, among others, could sustain them./PN
