FILE PHOTO: A farmer spreads fertilizer granules as he walks through his rice field in Bambang town, Nueva Vizcaya province. Rice farmers in the country, many of them still relying on manual labor to produce the staple, worry about competition from cheaper imported rice flooding local markets. —KARLSTON LAPNITEN
MANILA, Philippines — A principal author of the measure that condoned farmers’ debts said Tuesday that the recently signed New Agrarian Emancipation Act could help farmers avoid selling their lands.
Agri Party-list Rep. Wilbert Lee said he understands the fears of civil society organizations (CSOs) that the land awarded to agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) through the new law, also known as Republic Act No. 11953 might be used as collateral for future loans or unpaid debts.
But he defended the law, emphasizing that its objective is not only to free farmers from debts but likewise to provide “enough support” to ARBs and make farming a profitable livelihood.
He added that credit facilities and support services offered under the law give priority to farmers who have completed their land amortization payments.
“Naiintindihan natin ang pangamba ng ating mga (CSOs), ngunit bilang principal author ng New Agrarian Emancipation Act, nais kong klaruhin na ang layunin ng batas na ito ay bigyan ng sapat na suporta ang ating mga magsasaka para ang pagsasaka ay maging kumikitang kabuhayan para sa kanila, nang sa gayon ay hindi sila mamuhay na isang kahig, isang tuka,” Lee said in a statement.
(We understand the apprehension of our CSOs, but as the principal author of the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, I want to clarify that the purpose of this law is to give our farmers enough support so that farming can be a profitable livelihood for them so that they don’t live a life of poverty.)
“That is why aside from condonation, the New Agrarian Emancipation Act also provides that ARBs who have completed payment of their amortizations shall be given preference to credit facilities and support services para siguradong Winner Tayo Lahat (to make sure that it’s a win-win),” he added.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed R.A. No. 11953 last Friday, forgiving the P57.55 billion debt of more than 610,000 ARBs.
The law condones explicitly the unpaid amortization, interest, surcharge, and penalties of existing loans of farmers tilling more than 1 million hectares of land. The farmers are agrarian reform beneficiaries under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
As their debts were condoned, the lands are now owned by ARBs.
However, some sectors expressed fear that farmers will eventually sell the lands or use it as collateral for loans.
“Kapag na-implement nang maayos ang ating mga batas, hindi mangyayari ang mga kinatatakutan ng ating civil society partners (When our laws are properly implemented, the fears of our civil society partners will not happen). Good laws are only good or beneficial when they are properly implemented so this is what we must ensure – that the spirit of the law is what is being implemented,” Lee said.
“If our farmers are made to realize that farming is a profitable enterprise and they can make a decent living out of farming, then they would not be tempted to sell off the land that has been given to them,” he added.
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