DAR set on reaching CARP target by year-end
Figures and statistics may be on the lower scale in as far as established target is concerned, yet for officials of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) regional office here, the last quarter may bring positive results.
Foremost of said thrust is the department’s land distribution efforts under the government’s Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program or CARP. In a situationer, DAR executives disclosed some 21% accomplishment thus far which leaves over 18,000 hectares of unrealized target for this year. Translated into provincial records, Negros Occidental tops Western Visayas with 2,928 hectares distributed as of August, followed by Iloilo with over 859 hectares turned-over to Ilonggo farmer-beneficiaries. The island-province of Guimaras would have the least number on record at 59 hectares.
DAR Western Visayas hopes to improve all that as the year edges in to a close. The problems, Gideon Umadhay Jr., CARP officer and DAR Operations Division chief explained is due to policy concerns, technical worries and legal matters that contributes to the snag. However with representations made by the department to other government agencies involved in the program implementation such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and government banking institutions, DAR expects significant results.
Records of cumulative land distribution accomplishment of the region under its land tenure improvement show Negros Occidental with over 148 hectares on record, next is Iloilo with over 55 hectares and Capiz with over 51 hectares. Antique has over 48 hectares, then Aklan at 18 hectares and finally, Guimaras at over14 hectares.
Negros Occidental would also top other Western Visayas provinces in terms of Agrarian Reform Barangays (ARBs) issued with Emancipation Patents and Certificates of Land Ownership and Allotment.
Total ARBs for the region as of latest count is 211,066.