CARP benefits 227-T farmers in WV
The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has distributed 359,534 hectares of land in the entire Western Visayas under its Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). It benefited 227,584 farmer beneficiaries.
The province of Negros Occidental tops the list of provinces that has a bigger accomplishment. There are 159,325 hectares of land distributed in the sugar cane province. However, the land accomplishment report of the department dated May 31, 2007 did not specify the corresponding number of farmer beneficiaries in each province.
The province of Iloilo followed with 60,565 hectares of total land distribution. It is 17 percent of the total land distribution accomplishment of the department. Capiz comes third with 55,342 hectares of distributed land. It is 15 percent of the total land distribution by province.
Antique has a total land distribution accomplishment of 14 percent or a total of 49,512 hectares of land were distributed. The province of Aklan has a total land distribution of 19,611 hectares of land. It is only five percent of the total land distribution accomplishment.
The island-province of Guimaras has the least number of total land distribution with only 14,877 hectares and 4 percent accomplishment.
The agrarian reform program has been in effect for almost 10 years. The fate of the program implementation could not be ascertained next year. The program is only until June 2008 but there are still lands covered by the agrarian reform law that has not been implemented.
The CARP includes voluntary offer to sell, compulsory acquired, government financed institutions, government owned land, operation land transfer among others. The non-continuance of the program will happen should no bill will be re-filed for the release of funds for the implementation of the program.
There are two sources of fund for the agrarian reform program which is through the General Appropriations Act and Special Agrarian Reform Fund. The release of the Special Agrarian Reform Fund will only be until next year.