DAR to deploy implementers in Region 6, other priority areas
Agrarian Reform Secretary Gil de los Reyes said he will deploy more field implementers in priority areas with big balances with personnel from other regions to expedite the distribution of the remaining 1.034 million hectares of farm lands.
De los Reyes said the aim is to complete the distribution within the five-year extension period which is set to expire in 2014.
He said the priority areas include Western Visayas with a balance of some 150,000 hectares; Bicol, 106,000; Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, 105,000; Central Visayas, 83,000; Central Mindanao, 80,000; Eastern Visayas, 75,000; Southern Mindanao, 73,000; Northern Mindanao, 65,000.
These eight regions roughly constitute 70 percent of the total land areas remaining for distribution.
For provinces where the problem of distribution is significantly less, De los Reyes said he would send development experts to boost farm productivity and household income of the farmer-beneficiaries by providing them basic support services.
Currently, basic support services are in the form of farm-to-market roads, bridges, irrigation and post-harvest facilities, credit assistance, conduct of livelihood seminars/workshops and modern farm technology transfer.
“We are not only in the business of distribution land but also in assisting farmer-beneficiaries of the distributed land reach their full potential. We will deploy our personnel where they are needed or re-train them to meet other purposes,” De los Reyes said.*PNA
