Govt gives CARP lands to agri-grads in Cagayan

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Cagayan province, through President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 75, Series of 2019, acquired and distributed the 549-hectare portion of the Cagayan State University in Lallo town, Cagayan province under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). Some 382 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs), 30 of whom are graduates of agriculture courses shall be given farmlots for free. This is the first time that the department would give free lands to agricultural graduates.

The Certificate of Landownership Award (CLOA) titles were handed to them by no less than the DAR Secretary, Atty. John R. Castriciones in a landmark ceremony held at the DAR Central Office in Diliman, Quezon City on February 5, 2021. It is proof of the government’s resolve to pursue the constitutionally mandated agrarian reform program.

The objective of the activity, among others, is to encourage the youth to pursue agriculture. The government is seriously encouraging the younger generation to take the reins from aging farmer-leaders, to help attain national food security, and push the nation’s agriculture into the future. Presently, the government is providing them the much-needed support services, such agricultural lands, credit, capacity- building, and post-graduate scholarships, etc., to make agriculture a sustainable career that can be a steady source of income and make agriculture as a passion and career. 

There is great potential for the modernization of Philippine agriculture due to the youth’s technological insights and vitality, they can navigate the nation’s agriculture en route to the digital and smart technologies such as monitoring, analysis and reporting technology through the use of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data analysis. These are the young farmers that will revolutionize our agri sector towards economies of scale in the once very rural countryside. 

According to a study, the country could a face shortage of farmers if the current agricultural workforce will not be replenished by young farmers. It also showed that the number of students in agricultural courses have been declining yearly by 1.5 percent. The lands acquired by DAR for distribution were unutilized government-owned lands (GOLs), subjected under Executive Order (EO) No. 75, Series of 2019. (Photos by: Engr. Cherryl Tugude. Engr. Vanessa Layugan, Ms Jenalyn Baleva. et. al.)

DAR Secretary Atty John R Castriciones hands over CLOA
title to land awarded to agriculture graduates. 

The agri-grad ARBs during the organic farm visit in Tagaytay

Some of the 30 agriculture graduates-CARP beneficiaries on
their awarded farmlots in Lallo, Cagayan. 

ARBs and the DARPO-Cagayan EO 75/GOL Survey Team.

 

An area of around 549.0000 hectares was acquired for distribution 
to 382 agrarian reform beneficiaries (includes 30 agri-graduates). 

DAR Cagayan Valley 2019 ANNUAL REPORT

Filipinos are ready for electric vehicles

Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit

Technological developments in battery and charging, longer travelling distances, government support are pushing the advancement of the next big market in transportation.

The global electric vehicle (EV) market is catching up to Filipinos as Toyota, Nissan, Honda, and other automotive companies are bringing in fresh options for the electric vehicle market.

The Nissan-commissioned study by Frost & Sullivan, titled "Future of Electric Vehicles in Southeast Asia," was released in Singapore at Nissan Futures, a gathering of industry leaders, government officials and media. Consumer research in Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines reveals that 37% of prospective buyers are open to considering an electric vehicle as their next car. Customers in the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia emerged as the most enthusiastic about electric cars.

 The study "Future of Electric Vehicles in Southeast Asia" was conducted by Frost & Sullivan in January 2018 in six countries: Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines. The findings are based on 1,800 online customer responses and face-to-face discussions.  (Courtesy: Nissan Motor Asia Pacific Co., Ltd.; Frost & Sullivan Corporate Communications, Asia-Pacific)

DAR allots P300-M to aid farmers during COVID19 pandemic

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has allotted PHP300 million to finance its ongoing project "The PaSSOver: ARBOld Move to Heal as One Deliverance of our ARBs from the Covid-19 Pandemic,” a project in response to the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act or Republic Act 11469, where the President Rodrigo Duterte directed all government agencies to provide, protect and promote the welfare of the people amid the COVID19 health crisis. Throughout the nation, there are thousands of CARP farmer-beneficiaries adversely affected by the COVID19 pandemic.

     Admittedly, the biggest and most important sector in the country affected by this crisis is the food service industry, the Philippines being a nation with a thriving agricultural backbone, the lockouts throughout Luzon (which later on expanded to some major provinces in Visayas and Mindanao) caused farmers and agricultural workers suddenly unable to produce, tend their farms, and market their products. It also resulted to laborers losing job opportunities resulting to massive loss of income.

     As the public were forced by the crisis to stay in their homes to protect themselves and their families, the local economy ground to a halt but expenses continue to pile up. Business establishments remain closed and some may never open up again. All of a sudden, the agri sector is experiencing the largest loss of income in human history due to the deadly and highly contagious COVID19 pandemic, putting a sudden stop to physical interactions and almost none on business transactions.

     According to DAR Secretary JohnR. Castriciones, the budget for the project will be taken from the realigned budget of the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Development Sustainability Program (ARBDSP) and unobligated allotment from the different units of the DAR Support Services Office (SSO). The project aims to give essential support to ARBs for them to be able to perform their roles in ensuring food sufficiency in the country.

     The project intends to provide immediate and essential support services to men and women agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) to mitigate the impact of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) measures due to the pandemic and to address the demands affecting the agricultural sector even after the ECQ has been lifted or upon the start of the “new normal.”

The PaSSOver: ARBOld Move project will provide enable the ARBs, individually and collectively, to continue performing their roles as frontliners in ensuring food sufficiency for the nation. DAR is assisting the farmers in the distribution and delivery of agri products by issuing quarantine passes so they could pass through checkpoints in critical areas under ECQ.

     The Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organizations (ARBOs) will also be provided with farm inputs such as seedlings, fertilizers, pesticides, and farm tools to enable them to resume planting crops for continuous food supply. It will cover 7,000 hectares nationwide with 90,839 individual ARBs to benefit from the project. ARB identification cards (ARB IDs) are also being issued and distributed under the PaSSOver: ARBOld Move project. The ID cards are being given to identify ARBs and facilitate their access to the government's social amelioration programs (SAPs). As of April 24, a total of 77,119 ARB IDs have been distributed by the DAR.

     The project will also extend its support to 1,200 women ARBs nationwide by providing them with livelihood activities, especially in food production such as egg and poultry production, hog fattening, and similar activities based on their preferences and capabilities to ensure they have food on their tables and products to sell.

    According to DAR SSO Undersecretary Atty. Emily Padilla, “the project will also provide packages containing supplemental food, hygiene products and vitamins to ARB households. Each package will contain 4 kilos of rice, 4 canned sardines, 4 packs instant noodles, 2 pieces bath soap, 10 pieces face masks and a bottle of 50 pieces vitamin C. A total of 126,565 qualified ARBs will benefit from these packages. “Helping our ARBs will ensure that their agricultural production, livelihood and income will continue during this health crisis. It will also ensure sustained supply of adequate, affordable and safe food necessary for Filipino consumers even upon the 'new normal' will be implemented,"

     Meantime, in Cagayan province, the DAR Provincial Office personnel are presently going around different municipalities distributing initially the relief packs for agrarian reform farmer-beneficiaries, to be followed immediately with the distribution of farm inputs and livelihood kits, to help farmers get on and move on to the new normal. (Photos by: Mimi Atal-Mora)
CLICK PHOTOs to view: 

DAR-World Bank Project SPLIT to facilitate subdivision of collective to individual CLOAs for agrarian reform beneficiaries

Support to Parcelization of Lands to Individual Title (SPLIT), is a project that seeks to give farmer-beneficiaries covered under collective Certificates of Land Ownership Awards (cCLOA), the opportunity to have and own individual titles as evidence of ownership to the farmlot/s awarded to them under the agrarian reform program.

The recently approved Department of Agrarian Reform-World Bank (DAR-WB) SPLIT project is a loan package amounting to Php24 Billion which shall be used to subdivide the cCLOAs - about 1.38 million hectares, into individual land titles so that the agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) may fully exercise their rights of ownership and possession over their landholding/s.

The issuance of CCLOAs has repercussion to the government as it could not collect taxes and amortization. The same can be said to many beneficiaries who are not engaged in collective farming. All these issues can be cured once these cCLOAs are split into individual titles, he said.

The project SPLIT also includes the acquisition for the DAR Provincial offices involved, of survey and other related equipment for the subdivision of each farm lot, four-wheel drive vehicles and motorcycles for the mobilization of DAR survey teams, including hiring of additional manpower. It also requires capability trainings due to advances in technology, such as on the use of new software/computer programs like the AutoCAD Google Earth (AGE) Mapping which is useful for the subdivision of individual land titles as it requires computing technical descriptions, conversion of coordinates, transporting KMZ files (used by Google Earth) to Andriod phones among others.

The DAR-WB SPLIT project is in response to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s order to the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to conduct the survey and re-documentation of collective land titles to individual certificates of landownership awards (CLOAs). President Rodrigo R. Duterte requested the assistance of the World Bank in order to expedite the process of subdividing the lands covered by collective agrarian reform land titles. 

FAQs about the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps)

• The conditional cash transfer (CCT) program locally known as Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program, or 4Ps, is a government program that provides conditional cash grants to the poorest of the poor in the Philippines. The program aims to break the cycle of poverty by keeping children aged 0-18 healthy and in school, so they can have a better future.
• The program is implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, with the Department of Health, the Department of Education and the National Economic and Development Authority as partners.
• Households receive cash grants if children stay in school and get regular health check-ups, have their growth monitored, and receive vaccines. Pregnant women must get pre-natal care, with their births attended to by professional health workers. Parents or guardians are required to participate in monthly community-based Family Development Sessions to learn about positive child discipline, disaster preparedness, and women’s rights.
• Beneficiaries are objectively selected through the National Household Targeting System, also known as Listahanan, which is based from a survey of the physical structure of their houses, the number of rooms and occupants, their access to running water, and other factors affecting their living conditions.
• The program has one of the most comprehensive poverty targeting databases in the world today, covering 75% of the country’s population. It has been used extensively to identify poor and near-poor beneficiaries for national and local government programs.
• Started in 2007, the government expanded the program in December 2016 to reach a total of 20 million Filipinos belonging to 4.4 million households. The program benefits about 20% of the population, the majority of the nation’s poor.
• 9 million children are currently benefiting from the program, 1.9 million of which are in high school. The program has also achieved almost universal enrollment for elementary age children of 4Ps households.
• Social protection programs, Pantawid included, have cushioned the poor from the adverse impacts of various shocks the country experienced over the past six years. A study estimates that the program has led to a poverty reduction of 1.4 percentage points per year or 1.5 million less poor Filipinos.
• The 4Ps is currently the world’s fourth-largest CCT program based on population coverage. It complements the government’s other development priorities such as generating jobs and creating livelihood opportunities for the poor.

General Impact 1.5 million less poor Filipinos or an estimated poverty reduction impact of 1.4 percentage points per year Household heads, spouses, and other adults are more encouraged to work and set up their own businesses  87% of 4Ps parents are now more optimistic about their situation and their children’s futures

Health Reduction in severe stunting among beneficiary children Lower maternal mortality in the past five years because more mothers deliver babies in health facilities (7/10 live births) Drastic decrease in alcoholism in 4Ps households (spending on vices was lower by 39%) 4Ps beneficiaries consume more rice and cereals than non-beneficiaries

Education 10.18 million children currently benefit from CCT, 1.9 million of which are in high school Near universal school enrolment of elementary age children for 4Ps households (98%) 6% higher gross enrollment rate for beneficiary high school students Higher spending on education among 4Ps households (206 Pesos more per school-aged child per month vs non-4Ps) Decrease in child labor days (7 days less a month for 4Ps households) 333,673 graduated from high-school in 2015, 13,400 of which received honors

Local Economies P households invest more in working assets (livestock, machineries) than non-beneficiaries 4Ps households spend more on basic needs such as food, education and medicine that stimulate the growth of the local economy                         SOURCE: WORLD BANK RELATED LITERATURE: UPDATE OF PHILIPPINE 4Ps

DAR to provide low-cost housing for farmer-beneficiaries

QUEZON CITY—As the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) celebrated the 30^th anniversary of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), it also disclosed its latest package of assistance for agrarian reform beneficiaries, that is, the provision of affordable housing for agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) as part of its support services under CARP.

ARB housing program for the CARP farmer-beneficiaries.

Model unit located at the Nueva Vizcaya State University. 

According to DAR Secretary  John Castriciones, the farmers’ and farmworkers’ housing program shall be part of President Rodrigo Duterte’s order for a “rebirth” of land reform in the country, as he directed the DAR to launch what he described as a second phase of the program. Under the second phase of agrarian reform, the ARBs housing program shall be one of the major programs that would greatly improve the living condition of agrarian reform beneficiaries citing that most of the farmers and farmworkers do not own houses of their own. He further said that the ARB housing program is one of the means to achieve inclusive growth and improve the lives of ARBs and their families.

A model design located at the DAR Central Office in Quezon City. 

The ARB housing program shall be implemented through the convergence program of several government agencies and the private sector such as the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council’s (HUDCC) Balay Filipino Program, National Housing Authority (NHA), Pag-IBIG Fund, Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB), Social Housing Finance Corp. (SHFC), Home Guarantee Corp. (HGC) and the National Home Mortgage Finance Corp. (NHMFC).  These agencies will extend their respective programs, activities, and expertise in assisting and tapping subdivision developers in the housing industry to join the DAR’s ARB housing program.

The ARBs may use their emancipation patent, certificate of land ownership award (CLOA) and other titles issued to them as security. Housing loans for house construction or improvement in lands covered by CLOA will be treated as additional loans by Land Bank and other lending institutions.  The maximum term of housing loan will be at 30 years.

At present there are two model houses with different designs. One is located at DAR Central Office in Diliman, Quezon City and the other is located at the Nueva Vizcaya State University. The housing units are the duplex type with two bedrooms each, covering 37 square meters. Other model houses will also be put up in the Visayas and Mindanao where interested ARBs can view these units.

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DAR-Cagayan revives and strengthens the BARANGAY AGRARIAN REFORM COMMITTEE (BARC)

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.