Lawmakers question P2B DAR budget cut

August 4, 2018

House nembers have questioned the P2 billion cut in the 2019 proposed budget of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), which they feel could affect implementation of the government's program.

During the budget deliberation jointly presided by Committee on Appropriations vice chairmen Rizal Rep. Michael John Duavit and Albay Rep. Joey Salceda  last Thursday, it was uncovered that the DAR budget for fiscal year 2019 was slashed by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

The DAR's proposed budget for 2019 amounts to P8.202 billion.

DAR Secretary John Castriciones disclosed that the budget was slashed by P2 billion or 20 percent of its original proposal which was submitted to the DBM.

“Actually we made a proposal to DBM for a higher budget. There was a considerable amount of budget that was cut because some of the foreign-assisted projects (FAPS) have already closed down”, explained Castriciones.

This revelation was prompted by the observation posed by Akbayan Partylist Rep. Tom Villarin (Party-list, AKBAYAN). “If Agrarian Reform is still the centerpiece program of this administration, perhaps the budget should not have been cut”, said Villarin. He added the country still needs Agrarian Reform because it is a continuing mandate of the constitution.

“It should be given. All you need to do is ask,” said Salceda on the budget cut. According to Salceda, DAR has the highest credibility in terms of FAPs.

To date, there are 4.8 million lands distributed of which 1.8 million are compensable by the Land bank of the Philippines. The rest are non-compensable, government-identified lands, and settlements.

Villarin also asked Castriciones on his thoughts about the extension of the notice of coverage (NOC). The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reform or CARPER provided a sunset provision for non-extension of NOC.

“It was the president himself who encouraged the second phase of agrarian reform program,” said Castriciones.

According to Castriciones, DAR has prepared and submitted to the president for review a proposed bill. Then, the measure will be forwarded to the House of Representatives for evaluation.

The DAR-proposed bill will cover the following: (1) continuous service of NOC to lands which will be seized by DAR for distribution to farmers; (2) inclusion of vast coverage of government-owned lands as suggested by the President; (3) free distribution of lands so that the farmers will no longer pay for the parcels of lands that will be distributed to them. DMS