By Roi Anthoni Lomotan
DUMAGUETE CITY, Oct. 21 (PIA) – Negros Oriental Provincial Agrarian Reform
Officer (PARO) Atty. Louie Naranjo clarified that the Department of Agrarian
Reform (DAR) did not discontinue the implementation of the Comprehensive
Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
“What expired last June
30, 2013 was the issuance of the notice of coverage,” Naranjo disclosed during
a briefing with the members of Association of Negros Oriental Public
Information Officer (ANOPIO) in Dumaguete City.
Naranjo explained that
DAR can no longer issue notice of coverage to compulsory acquired land holdings
but it can still provide notice of coverage to landowners that will voluntarily
sell their land to the department.
The issuance of the
notice is the first step in DAR’s land acquisition and distribution process.
Naranjo made the
clarification to shed light on claims by some stakeholders that the
implementation of CARP has already ended.
Naranjo assured agrarian
reform beneficiaries in the province that land acquisition process will still
go on to landowners who already received notice of coverage from DAR.
On the other hand, the
implementation of CARP might just go beyond 2016. Engr. Marlon Galon of
DAR told government information officers on the possibility that the department
will be able to issue notice of coverage to landowners until June 30, 2016.
This if members of the
House of Representatives will pass the CARP Extension Bill No. 4296 which is
certified urgent by President Aquino. This bill was already approved on third
and final reading in the the Senate.
With this, DAR will
still process claims beyond 2016 or until the termination of land acquisition
and distribution activities, Galon adds.
Meanwhile, as of
September 30, 2014, DAR-Negros Oriental has already distributed 105, 562.1260
hectares of land holdings to 52,130 agrarian reform beneficiaries in the
province. This is equivalent to two hectares for each beneficiary.
(mbcn/ral/PIA7-NegOr)