House tackles DAR budget

DAR Secretary Virgilio de los Reyes. www.dar.gov.ph/

MANILA, Philippines — After discussions with officials of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, the House committee on appropriations moved on to deliberation on the proposed budget for the Department of Agrarian Reform Thursday afternoon.

DAR Secretary Virgilio de los Reyes met with the panel, led by its chair Cavite Representative Joseph Emilio Abaya, to present and defend the proposed P21.4 billion fund for the agency.

The proposed budget has set aside P5.7 billion for Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) beneficiaries which the government hopes to complete in 2014. The amount is being eyed for use in supporting agrarian reform communities, constructing irrigation facilities, and developing upland sites.

Committee level deliberations on the proposed P2.006 trillion national budget for 2013 are expected to take up the entire month of August.

Lawmakers deliberate on DAR’s proposed budget for 2013 at the Andaya Hall.