Monday, January 14, 2008 Agrarian Reform central office transfer here, soon By Ben O. Tesiorna
PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo announced in her past State of the Nation Address (Sona) that the central office of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) will be transferred to Davao City, but nothing has been heard of such plan since.
On Saturday, five cabinet secretaries of the Arroyo administration met with the board of directors of the Southern Philippines Development Authority (SPDA) to discuss the impending transfer of the DAR-Central Office to the SPDA compound in Catalunan Pequeño anytime soon.
Secretary Silvestre "Bebot" Bello III said the President had constantly been asking him about the status of the plan to transfer DAR Central Office to Davao City. Thus, he decided to meet with the SPDA board that is said to be against the idea.
Bello, along with Secretaries Jesus Dureza, Cerge Remonde, Norberto Gonzales and Nasser Pangandaman, informed the SPDA board that Arroyo's order must be implemented at the soonest possible time.
The secretaries gave the board 15 days to submit a "proposed solution to the problem".
It was learned that SPDA does not want to vacate their building and instead proposed that DAR should hold office in an adjacent property in Catalunan Pequeño.
Bello said aside from the SPDA compound, they have also been scouting for other place where the DAR Central Office could temporarily hold office once it is finally transferred in the city.
Among the areas identified were the old international airport building and a three-storey building along Roxas Avenue.
Bello said settling in at the old airport will require renovating the structure that will cost around P100 million.
As to the three-storey building along Roxas Avenue, Bello said their problem with the building is that it can only accommodate up to 100 personnel. He said a central office needs about 500 personnel to fully function, thus leaving the SPDA compound as the only ideal place for the DAR to transfer in at the moment.
It was learned that the present DAR Central Office in Metro Manila has around 6,000 employees.
DAR Secretary Nasser Pangandaman said majority of them are against the idea of relocating in Mindanao.
Thus, he said, if the Metro Manila employees do not want to relocate, then they will source their manpower in the DAR regional offices like in eastern, western and northern Mindanao and Caraga.
He said their office in the National Capital Region would now become just a regional office once the transfer is realized.
The SPDA board meanwhile said if there is really no alternative area, then they are willing to vacate their office and transfer to other areas where they have properties. They are however asking for the Arroyo administration to give them ample time to relocate.
