Land reform target in East Visayas: 60,000 ha

TACLOBAN CITY—At least 60,000 hectares of agricultural lands in Eastern Visayas are tagged for distribution to beneficiaries of land reform in the region.

Eliasem Castillo, regional director of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), on Wednesday said DAR believes it could distribute these in four years.

Castillo said that the 60,461 ha of land targeted for distribution in the region represents 22 percent of the total target of 488,903 ha for Eastern Visayas under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.

The areas targeted for land reform are in Leyte (42,989 ha), Northern Samar (10,281 ha), Samar (3,855 ha), Eastern Samar (1,841 ha), Southern Leyte (1,421 ha) and Biliran (74 ha).

Since the program was started under the late President Corazon Aquino in 1988, at least 428,442 ha of lands have been distributed in the region, benefiting 153,015 farmers.

Castillo said 21,593 farmers were to benefit from the distribution of the remaining 60,461 ha of land.

However, he admitted that some land owners continue to contest the land reform program, especially those who own more than 50 hectares.

“But despite their opposition, we are still confident that we can accomplish the program by 2014,” said Castillo.