The Department of
Agrarian Reform-Cagayan Provincial Office in Tuguegarao recently conducted a two-day
seminar for barangay leaders, farmer-leaders and agrarian reform beneficiaries
to enable them to reorganize and strengthen the Barangay Agrarian Reform Committee (BARC) in
their respective barangays.
The BARC shall
effect and facilitate the land transfer program in the barangays. It shall
establish questions of fact, e.g. identification of lands to be covered and
distributed, identification, screening and qualification of beneficiaries,
identification of landowners, land valuation, perimeter surveys, information
dissemination, etc.
The BARC functions as
contained in Sec. 47 of R.A. 6657 are as follows: (1) Assist in the identification of qualified
beneficiaries and landowners in the barangay; (2) Attest to the accuracy of the initial
parcellary mapping of the beneficiary's tillage; (3) Assist in the initial
determination of the value of the land; (4) Mediating local agrarian disputes
among farmers and landowners alike, among others. The BARC shall endeavor to
resolve these disputes as far as practicable, within the confines of the
community. The BARC shall closely coordinate and establish linkages with local
conflict resolution bodies such as the Lupong Tagapayapa on issues which shall
expedite CARP implementation and avoid delays brought about by tedious
courtroom procedures.
Further, the BARC
shall identify possible opportunities for the provision of specific support
services based on felt needs, such as coordinate the delivery of support
services to beneficiaries and assist qualified beneficiaries in obtaining
credit from lending institutions
A related purpose
shall be that of providing the community a forum for ventilating agrarian
reform issues whereupon local farmers organizations shall be given the
opportunity to directly propose and advocate policies.
The Philippine Constitution
also expressly provides that the state shall recognize the right of the
farmers, farmworkers, and landowners, as well as cooperatives and other
independent farmers organizations to participate in the planning, organization
and management of the (agrarian reform) program (ART. XIII, Sec. 5). The
provision embodies the goal of "people empowerment" as an
indispensable element in broadening the base of our democracy.
The passage of Executive
Order No. 229 further affirmed this commitment to building a community-based
implementing and coordinating mechanism for the agrarian reform program by
providing for the establishment of the Barangay Agrarian Reform Council. In
line with the policy of encouraging people's initiative and self-reliance, the
law provided that the BARC shall operate on a self-help bases.
Subsequently, R.A.
6657 (CARP) restated the government's adherence to participatory development
and vested the BARC with additional functions such as among others,
identification of beneficiaries, land valuation, etc. The CARL likewise changed the nomenclature of the BARC
from "council" to "committee".
The composition of
the BARC shall be in accordance with proportionate sectoral representation on
the basis of the land-to-the-tiller principle. Hence, bigger sectors shall have
bigger representation in the BARC.
The membership of
the BARC shall be in accord with the basic requirements of E.O. 229 and shall
have regular voting members and ex-officio non-voting members. Regular members
shall be limited to residents of the barangay. On the other hand, the
ex-officio members shall comprise representatives of government agencies and
the barangay council. With the predominance of barangay residents in its
membership, the regular functioning of the BARC shall be ensured.
The BARC shall have:
A. Seven REGULAR
VOTING MEMBERS composed of: Four representatives of farmer/farmworker beneficiaries
which shall be composed of representatives of the following sectors: (a) landless
farmworkers (whether regular, seasonal, or other farmworkers); (b) share tenant;
(c) lessee (to include ISF beneficiaries); and (d) amortizing owner (EP/CLT
holder, etc.). One representative of farmer/farmworker non-beneficiaries. This
sector shall be represented by small owner-cultivators i.e., those who own not
more than 5 hectares of agricultural land and are actually tilling the land
either by himself or with the help of family labor and/or hired farmworkers. One
representative of agricultural cooperatives/farmers organization. This sector
shall be represented from a functional and barangay-based farmers organization
or a cooperative. The cooperative should have a majority of tillers in its
membership. One representative of landowner. The sector shall include small
(w/5 hectares or less) but non-cultivating landowners.
B. Six EX-OFFICIO
NON-VOTING MEMBERS composed of one (1) representative each from the following: Department
of Agrarian Reform - (DAR Agrarian Reform Technologist assigned to the area who
shall act as the Secretary); Department of Agriculture; Department of
Environment and Natural Resources; Land Bank of the Philippines; Barangay
Council; and Locally based non-government organizational (NGO). These are NGOs
based on the municipal or provincial level.
The BARC shall also have its Officers and Committees. The elected sectoral representatives shall elect
among themselves a Chairman, a Vice Chairman, and an Assistant Secretary. All
elected BARC officers shall be residents of the barangay. The BARC (consisting
of both the voting and non-voting members) shall form different committees
based on need and priority activities. The BARC representatives shall likewise
select the committee heads as appropriate.
The Department shall
facilitate the formation of BARCs in barangays which have expressed needs for
one and primarily in, but not limited to, priority areas and municipalities. The
process of organizing shall reflect to the fullest extent, the intention of the
law to allow meaningful participation of all concerned sectors.
Elected
representatives shall serve a maximum of two (2) years. Any elected BARC
representatives who fails to fulfill his duties and responsibilities or fails
to live up to the expectations of the sector he represents may be removed
before the expiration of his term by majority vote of the members of the
sectoral group. Officers of the BARC shall serve at the pleasure of the
committee and may be removed by simple majority vote or upon serving the
maximum period of two (2) years.
The DAR’s thrusts
and programs were also discussed during the event wherein the participants
expressed their sincere desire to strengthen and seriously participate in the
implementation of the agrarian reform program to bring about the benefits of rural
development in their respective communities.
