DAR budget ‘that of a funeral home’

HUNGRY LOT Farmers from Eastern Visayas, in a rally in February, dramatize their demand for agrarian reform by picking pieces of bread from near empty plates. —GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

Several congressmen questioned the P2-billion cut in the 2019 proposed budget of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) with one saying in jest that the allotment request was akin to funeral expenses.

The congressmen expressed concern that the proposed funding slash would have a negative impact on the implementation of the government’s agrarian reform program, which President Rodrigo Duterte promised to widen and strengthen.

At a hearing of the House committee on appropriations on Thursday, congressmen were told that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) slashed the 2019 proposed DAR budget from more than P8 billion to just P6 billion.

Inconsistent

“Actually we made a proposal to DBM for a higher budget,” Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones said at the hearing.

Akbayan Rep. Tom Villarin said the budget cut was inconsistent with Mr. Duterte’s promise to continue agrarian reform.

Committee vice chair Rep. Joey Salceda said all that DAR had to do, though, was just ask. “You know, you just ask and it should be given,” he said.

“All you need to do is ask,” he said. “I cannot imagine why your budget is the budget of a funeral home,” Salceda said in jest during the hearing.

Castriciones said it was the President who encouraged the continuation of the agrarian reform program and that the DAR had already prepared a bill extending the program for submission to the President.

The bill, according to Castriciones at the hearing, would feature continuing issuance of notices of coverage of land for distribution, coverage of government-owned land as suggested by Mr. Duterte and free distribution of land.

According to the DAR chief, at least 4.8 million hectares of land had already been distributed. The government has to pay for at least 1.8 million hectares.