COTABATO CITY – The Department of Agrarian Reform of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DAR-ARMM) is now in the process of validating the remaining 112, 290 hectares of landholdings covered by the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) Extension with Reforms. The total area mentioned is subject to distribution to qualified farmers in the region in the next five years.
DAR-ARMM Secretary Amihilda Sangcopan said her office is now in the process of determining whether the lands are still “workable” or some issues have to be ironed out in the near term. The validation is the last stage of the “cleansing” process the DAR-ARMM is currently working on, she said.
“We are done with the first step, which is the reconciliation process whereby we reconcile the records of our agrarian reform beneficiaries in the regional office with those found in the provincial offices,” said Sec. Sangcopan.
“After the validation will be the distribution of the landholdings to the farmer-beneficiaries,” she added.
She said the cleansing efforts are now around 60 to 65% complete. She further said the distribution will be intensified this year.
The agency is targeting to distribute at least 20,055 hectares of land this year. The remaining 92,235 hectares are projected to be distributed in 2016 and beyond.
The distribution of all lands covered by the agrarian reform program in the region will be complete by 2020, she said.
An estimated 7.8 million hectares of lands in the country are covered by the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) with 375,853 hectares located within the ARMM. These lands are to be distributed to 68,087 farmer-beneficiaries in the region.
As of date, DAR-ARMM has already distributed 263,563 hectares to beneficiaries, which is equivalent to roughly 70 of the total land subject to CARP coverage in the region. (Bureau of Public Information)
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