DAR chief says extension of land reform law not essential

Agrarian Reform Secretary Virgilio “Gil” delos Reyes. PHOTO FROM GOV.PH

MANILA, Philippines—The proposed five-year extension of the agrarian reform law is “not necessary, but it won’t hurt either,” according to Agrarian Reform Secretary Virgilio de los Reyes.

He said on Friday he welcomed a new move in the House of Representatives to extend the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (Carp) by five years upon its expiration in June 2014, but he did not see an urgent need for it.

The official said the Department of Agrarian Reform could still effectively fulfill its mandate of redistributing land to farmers even after the Carp extension with reforms law, or Carper, is terminated.

De los Reyes noted that under agrarian laws, the DAR would still be able to acquire and distribute land to legitimate beneficiaries provided the agency was able to issue notices of coverage to landholdings before Carper’s expiration.

“We can still distribute all those landholdings to which we have issued a notice of coverage even beyond the expiration of Carper,” he said in an interview by phone.

De los Reyes said some 500,000 to 600,000 landholdings were still in the process of being issued notices of coverage. But the DAR has already completed the coverage of 70 percent of all agricultural lands under its jurisdiction, he added.

The bill filed by Representatives Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro and his brother Maximo of Abante Mindanao seeks the extension of Carper until June 30, 2019. The law expires on June 30, 2014.