Kaisahan - agrarian reform, rural development, local governance, Philippines

agrarian reform, rural development, local governance, Philippines



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Tuesday, January 06, 2009 KAISAHAN, Inc., 3 Mahabagin Street, Teachers' Village West, Quezon City, Philippines
Programs and Services > Policy Advocacy and Campaigns > CARP Extension with Reforms
Small farmers make better use of land, ensure food security
CAMPAIGN CARP Extension PROGRAM AREAS Barotac Viejo, Iloilo Ormoc City, Leyte EDITORIAL Pulsuhan Office of the Exec Director PUBLICATION Kanlayan e-Zine Occasional Paper SUCCESS STORIES Institutional Strengths 15-Yr Old Calatagan Farmer Farming Couple KANLAYAN Resource Center KANLAYAN Search Feedback Links Why CARP must continue Senate Bill on CARP Extension CARP Reform Bill AR Now! Position Paper on GARB Kaisahan Position Paper CARP Extension Kaisahan Inc., 2008 Search Engine Optimization and Web Design by TheLoneRider	*OVERVIEW* The CARP Acceleration Bill The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) is said to be the centerpiece government program that would pave the way for the country's aspiration for sustainable economic development and industrialization by infusing fresh capital, infrastructure, and lasting peace into agricultural areas. However, twenty years since its implementation, the program's mandate and objective were not yet fully fulfilled. Worst, CARP is now facing a June 2008 budgetary deadline. Baby warriors to the streets Amidst this situation, there is an unabated phenomenon of application for exemption and land conversion. Based on the DAR data, in Mindanao alone, there is a total of 2 ,829.252 hectares being applied for exemption, from which 2,632.15 hectares (or 93%) have been approved. Also, 8,284.666 hectares (or 81%) hectares have been converted out of the 10, 172.206 hectares which were under application for conversion. These unabated cases of conversion have been highlighted by the Sumilao farmers from Bukidnon when they successfully embarked to walk on foot for 60 days from their homeland to Malacanang to ask the government to revoke the conversion order over the 144 hectares granted to them under the CARP, but was subsequently taken back from them when said property was erroneously converted from agricultural to agro-industrial. forging ahead Based on the DAR figures also, there are still 1,077,538 hectares of private agricultural land (PAL) and 581,813 hectares of public alienable and disposable land that have to be distributed after 2008. Agrarian reform cases are expected to reach to 132,620 after 2008. In Mindanao, there are 2,938 cases in the pending in judicial and quasi judicial tribunal. Further there are 440,097 hectares of land in Mindanao that will be distributed if CARP will be extended after 2008. This agricultural land would benefit 293,398 farmers if each farmer will receive 1.5 hectares. This situation warrants a continuation of the implementation of CARP beyond 2008. HB 1257 or the CARP Acceleration Bill seeks to speed up the implementation of the Land Acquisition and Distribution (LAD) component of the CARP within 7 years. This can be done by allocating enough resources for its implementation. The bill also requests for the government to automatically set aside 3.8 of the annual national budget for agrarian reform. Seventy percent of this allocation will be for the just compensation of landowners and the other 30% will be for credit assistance and support services. Learning from the lessons from the past, the bill also introduces measures that would address the loopholes of the law. The bill seeks to among other a) strengthen credit and support service delivery, b) provide secure titles to agrarian reform beneficiaries, c) physical distribution and possession of land, and d) reorganization of the DAR for better performance and more farmer participation. The bill strengthens the policy frame that CARP is foremost a social justice program that seeks to remedy the unjust distribution of wealth.	The municipality of Infanta, Quezon has been self-sufficient in rice for a decade now. In 1998, it already attained a 132% food sufficiency level according to official municipal data. Of its 22,500 hectare land area, around 1,500 hectares are planted to rice. A farmer survey in 2002 attributed this to 70% of the local population doing farming and farm-related work. An Infanta farmer in 2007 averaged 4.5 tons per hectare per cropping, 1 ton more than the national average. This does not consider yet the special group of Infanta rice farmers who use inbred rice and organic and mixed fertilization technologies to produce a whopping 6 to 9 tons per hectare. The Reform CARP Movement stresses that if the Infanta farmer's achievement is multiplied with the 3-4 million small farmers in the Philippines, it stands to reason that the country can produce enough crops to be food-secure. But a farmer's diligence alone will not guarantee productivity. Infanta's farmers, for example, benefited from training provided by non-government organizations like the Infanta Integrated Community Development Association, Inc. (ICDAI) led by Fr. Francis Lucas. ICDAI widely promoted organic rice farming in Infanta for household self sufficiency and to minimize production costs. Support services like credit and post-harvest facilities are likewise indispensable for farm efficiency. The ability of small farmers to make their land productive has been noticed by no less than the World Bank, which declared in its 2008 World Development Report that "The record on the superiority of smallholder farming as a form of organization is striking." The Report further noted that small farmers "use their resources more efficiently than larger farmers." Pecuaria farmers - successful ARBs and organic entrepreneurs Meanwhile, farmers of the Pecuaria Development Cooperative, Inc. (PDCI) in Bula, Camarines Sur have successfully transformed into agricultural entrepreneurs since they were awarded their 800-hectare land under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). They now sell red organic rice and muscovado sugar in major supermarkets like SM and Robinson's and earn an average of 1.5 million from organic rice trading alone. A multi-awarded Agrarian Reform Community (ARC), it took 15 years for PDCI to make the shift from food producer to agri-entrepereneurs. But it all started with the transfer of their Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) followed by training, support services and market linkages. Reform CARP now! march Agrarian Reform complements agricultural development and food security As explained by Dr. Rene Ofreneo, former dean of the University of the Philippines School of Labor and Industrial Relations, "With asset reform and the right support incentives and policy governance, small farmers can be the leaders in agricultural development." Ofreneo emphasizes that the challenge now is to transform small farmers into modern agribusiness leaders able to meet food and other agricultural requirements of the country. For Ernie Lim, Jr. of AR Now! and the Reform CARP Movement , the experience of these farmers confirms an unmistakable formula: An agrarian reform program that secures land ownership for small farmers and provides adequate support services will ensure food security and improve farmers' lives.	Lupa para sa mga magsasakang Pilipino, ralliers and supporters flock
			Suspicious Congress support for Corporate Farming With the seemingly overwhelming support for this argument, agrarian reform supporters are perplexed with Congress's prioritization of contradictory programs like corporate farming instead of providing funding for and improving the present Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). According to a press statement from the House of Representatives, House Bill No. 3837 aims to "promote and provide incentives for corporate farming as a means of achieving food security." Explaining the Bill, Speaker Prospero Nograles remarked that ""Deeper private sector involvement will bring in the most productive inputs and technologies available to help improve farm business structures in the country. It must be noted that about eighty percent (80%) of landholdings in the country are occupied/leased by small farmers which do not have the necessary resources and skills to increase farm yields." Speaker Nograles also proposes exemptions of sugar, banana, pineapple and coconut plantations from compulsory acquisition and amendments to the Constitution "to allow the acquisition by foreign corporations and associations and the transfer of conveyance of alienable public and private lands". Dean Ofreneo says the role of agribusiness corporations should be in agricultural processing, packaging and marketing and not take over large tracts of land for production. Government should not sacrifice tenure of small farmers but instead complete the land acquisition and distribution component of CARP. Carmina Flores-Obanil of Centro Saka, Inc. and a member of the Reform CARP Movement, observed that "If Speaker Nograles is truly sincere in ensuring food security for every Filipino, he should realize the importance of immediately extending the funding for the CARP by passing the CARP Extension with Reform Bill. Small farmers can definitely make lands productive provided they get the right incentives, such as tenure security, credit facilities and support services. Nograles needs to trust small farmers more." The RCM supports House Bill No. 1257 and Senate Bill No. 2047, authored by Rep. Risa Hontiveros, Akbayan Party List and Senator Jinggoy Estrada, respectively. Both bills propose major amendments to the CARL including the ban on conversion of agricultural lands, provision of initial capitalization and credit support for ARBs, indefeasibility of Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) titles, DAR re-organization, and the repeal of "non-distributive" land acquisition schemes such as Voluntary Land Transfer, and Stock Distribution Option, and leaseback arrangements. RCM calls on both Senate and the Lower House to immediately deliberate and decide on these pending bills when Congress resumes in November. # - Maricel Tolentino, Menchie Flores-Obanil	CARPER Legislative Timeline July 24, 2007 Rep. Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel together with the members of Reform CARP Movement (RCM) filed House Bill 1257 or the CARP extension with Reforms bill (CARPER). November 29, 2007 House Committee on Agrarian Reform 1st public hearing on CARP extension. December 10, 2007 House Committee on Agrarian Reform 2nd public hearing on CARP extension February 4, 2008 Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito-Estrada filed SB 2047, CARPER version in the Senate supported by the Reform CARP Movement (RCM). February 13, 2008 Senate Committee on Agrarian Reform 1st public hearing on CARP extension February 20, 2008 House Committee on Agrarian Reform conducted an Executive Session where the members decided to conduct regional consultations. March 6, 2008 Congress public consultation in San Fernando La Union. March 7, 2008 Congress public consultation in Dumaguete City and Digos City. March 27, 2008 Senate Committee on Agrarian Reform Technical Working Group meeting. April 10, 2008 Senate public consultation in Cagayan De Oro. April 17, 2008 Senate public consultation in Legazpi, Albay. April 23, 2008 House Committee on Agrarian Reform 2nd Public hearing and approved CARPER substitute bill and set a referendum on the Farmland as Collateral provision against non-collateral credit assistance. April 29, 2008 House Committee on Agrarian Reform with a 23-9-1 vote adopt non-collateral credit assistance to ARBs. May 2, 2008 Senate public consultation in Roxas City. May 8, 2008 Senate Committee on Agrarian Reform Technical Working Group meeting. May 13, 2008 Senate Committee on Agrarian Reform 2nd public hearing. Convince your legislators to support and approve the CARP Extension with Reform bill Participate and join mobilizations in support of CARP Extension with Reform bill Attend committee hearings, public hearings and plenary sessions of both Senate and House of Representatives in support of CARP Extension with Reform bill Write letter to the editors, opinion or stories supporting CARP Extension with Reform bill