Baguilat appeals to Malacañang to ensure CARP coverage of private agricultural lands Upset with DAR inaction to submit proposal extending CARPER’s land acquisition and distribution deadline Rep. Teddy Brawner Baguilat, as chairperson of the House Committee on Agrarian Reform (AR), sends an urgent appeal to President Noynoy Aquino to act swiftly to ensure that the remaining private agricultural lands targeted under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) are issued Notices of Coverage (NOC) before its prescribed deadline on June 30, 2014under CARP extension with reforms law. “I issue this appeal to Malacañang to certify as urgent a bill to continue the issuance of NOCs for some 260,000 hectares of land still to be covered by the agrarian reform program beyond June 30, 2014. Other members of the House are also preparing a bill for filing next week,” stressed Baguilat. Aside from these lands, Baguilat also believes that by moving the deadline of NOC issuance, other private and government lands not yet targeted by DAR but are qualified to be covered under CARP could be included for coverage to complete the constitutional mandate for agrarian reform. Baguilat’s appeal comes from frustration with the Department of Agrarian Reform’s (DAR) continued failure to submit its proposed amendment to Section 30 of R.A. 9700 to give the agency more time to completely issue all Notices of Coverage (NOC). “DAR, it seems, has no sense of urgency to complete the agrarian reform program. I am having serious reservations about DAR’s plans on how to fulfill its Constitutional mandate for agrarian reform,” said Baguilat. “I urge the President to compel the DAR to act now and exercise all possible means to guarantee the completion of the agrarian reform program. I sincerely hope that PNoy will extend his political will to fulfill the goal of CARP, which is an unfulfilled legacy of his mother, the late President Cory Aquino’s administration,” pressed Baguilat. Baguilat issued the directive to the DAR at the hearing of the AR Committee last March 5, to submit a “1-liner amendment” that would extend the issuance of NOCs beyond June 30, 2014, as prescribed in the CARP extension with reforms (CARPER) law. The agency itself recommended this proposal. At the hearing four weeks ago, DAR Undersecretary Anthony Parungao said that with less than four months before the prescribed deadline for the land acquisition and distribution (LAD) component under RA 9700, his department needs more time to issue NOCs that are still undistributed. This is due to numerous problematic and missing land titles which are needed for NOC issuance. Baguilat and Rep. Cres Paez of Coop NATCCO partylist both insist that the legislative proposal needs to be filed or deliberated soon because Congress has barely one month left to deliberate before the June 30, 2014 LAD deadline. Congress resumes on May 4 and adjourns again on June 15. It is thus most imperative for Malacanang certify this measure as urgent as soon as possible, urged Baguilat.
Posted on: Wed, 02 Apr 2014 10:04:38 +0000
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