PGMA urges Congress to enact a more responsive land reform law
Bacolod City - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo urged members of the 14th Congress to enact a more responsive land reform law before the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) culminates in 2008.
This was announced Friday by Presidential Adviser for Western Visayas Rafael Coscolluela during the President's visit here and Silay in Negros Occidental.
Coscolluela said the President would like to integrate an economic aspect inspite of the program being viewed as a social justice measure.
"We don't want to give away lands and have unproductive farmers. We will give away lands but have productivity at the same time," he said.
Coscolluela further opined that President Arroyo might entertain the idea of extending the program because it is a legacy of her late father, former President Diosdado Macapagal.
Meanwhile, Negros Occidental 5th District Rep. Ignacio Arroyo said that the CARP law would be part of the President's State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 23.
"If it's part of SONA, it's going to be a priority bill. But it would all depend on the Congress on how to handle it," he added.
President Arroyo visited Negros Occidental last Friday to inspect the new Bacolod-Silay City airport, one of the government's major infrastructure projects in Central Philippines.
(PNA)