DAR chief eyes 6M hectares for farmers

Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano (File Photo fy LYN RILLON / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano is looking at some some six million hectares of public and private agricultural lands, some of which have been exempted from agrarian reform, for distribution to farmers.

Mariano said he had proposed to the government and communist rebel peace panels to include in their agenda the free distribution to farmers of all agricultural lands, including those that had been reclassified for residential or commercial uses.

“The exemptions and exclusions provided by the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) should be removed,” Mariano said.

“Those lands previously exempted or excluded from CARP coverage must also be reviewed. If the lands remain agricultural in use, they should be placed under the coverage of the agrarian reform program,” he continued.