Several landowners have voiced concern over the reported
budgetary constraints that the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) will be
experiencing pending the approval of the 2007 budget.
Owners of privately owned lands, which make up 95 percent of
the 1.606 million hectares still up for distribution expressed fear that they
might not be compensated properly by the DAR once their properties are covered
by the program. Recently, the DAR has discovered new lands for coverage by CARP
in addition to the 600,000 remaining landholdings for distribution.
The concern of landowners were also shared by some farmers
organizations which said that landowners’ resistance and assurance of farmers’
productivity remain as the biggest threats to agrarian reform. They however,
expressed optimism that the DAR could handle this problem if only the CARP would
be provided adequate funding support.
Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman reportedly
explained that many landowners are not particularly against CARP but the
"so-called apprehension all boils down to the availability of funds for
landowners’ compensation."
The farmers stressed that if the 2006 budget will be reenacted this year,
then it would raise a lot of problems that could hamper the implementation not
only of the land distribution program but also the provision of support services
to farmers as there would be no appropriation to cover the agrarian reform fund
this year.
