ILOILO City – Western Visayas is among the regions with the most number of agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) covered by the newly signed Republic Act 11953, or the New Agrarian Emancipation Act.
Of the total 610,054 ARBs in the country, 170,096 are from Western Visayas, data from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Region 6 showed.
“Malaki-laki po ang maka-benefit,” DAR-6 director Atty. Sheila B. Enciso told Panay News.
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).
Here is the breakdown of ARBs per province in Western Visayas:
* Aklan – 641 ARBs (1,198 hectares)
* Antique – 433 ARBs (605 hectares)
* Capiz – 24,194 ARBs (30,255 hectares)
* Guimaras – 2,298 ARBs (3,428 hectares)
* Iloilo – 8,083 ARBs (5,910 hectares)
* Negros Occidental 1 – 61,938 ARBs (72,406 hectares)
* Negros Occidental 2 – 72,509 ARBs (96,063 hectares)
Majority of the 170,096 ARBs have land titles while others only have collective Certificates of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAs), and DAR-6 is in the process of awarding individual land titles.
Under the existing agrarian laws, ARBs must pay for the lands awarded to them in annual amortization with the Land Bank of the Philippines for a maximum of 30 years with six percent interest.
And now that farmers are absolved, Enciso said they could divert their money to purchase farm inputs and cultivate the land.
“Ang na-condone ang amortization, ‘yon pong cost ng lupa. (Originally) magbabayad sila for 30 years (with) interest of six percent. Kung susumahin malaking bagay talaga. Halimbawa magbabayad sila per year ng P10,000. Sa isang magsasaka malaking bagay para ipangbili na lang ng abono or farm inputs,” added Enciso.
10-year prohibition period to sell the land
Enciso explained that under the law, a 10-year prohibitory period to sell is imposed on the farmer-beneficiary.
“Ang pagbenta ng lupa sa loob ng sampong taon na prohibition ay bawal po. Pero kung ang magbenta ay after ng 10 years of prohibition, that is allowed,” he said.
Violators will be disqualified from the land reform program.
Once one farmer-beneficiary is disqualified, the land will be awarded to another qualified beneficiary.
ARBs are also obliged to cultivate their land; neglecting the land is also a ground for disqualification.
“Isa po sa qualification sa farmer-beneficiary noong ina-identify namin sila ay kailangan mayroon po silang willingness to make the land productive, kumbaga naroon talaga ang kanilang kakayahan para maging produktibo ang lupa na ina-award sa kanila,” added Enciso.
In this part, farmers will be aided by the national government by providing support services like farm machinery and inputs. But before this, farmers should create an organization or cooperative in coordination with their respective Municipal Agrarian Reform Officers and Municipal Agriculture Offices.
Enciso clarified that those who had fully paid their amortization or were able to pay earlier would be prioritized in giving out support services.
Qualified to become ARBs or be awarded land by the DAR are those who are landless or those who are cultivating a three-hectare plot or less.
The maximum amount of land that can be awarded to an ARB is only three hectares.
Around 41,000 hectares of land are still to be award to ARBs in the region, and most of them are in Negros Occidental, data from DAR-6 showed./PN
