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Saturday, November 22, 2003
Pagdanganan to solons: 'Respect the law'
By Albert B. Lacanlale
DEPARTMENT of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Roberto M. Pagdanganan recently challenged lawmakers to "respect the law" and desist from diverting part of the Marcos' Swiss account for the education sector.
A press statement, issued by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) region-3 office here, said Pagdanganan has urged the country's solons to keep US$683 million, roughly P38 billion, of the Swiss deposits in its original alignment intended for the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
Pagdanganan said that with the fund, DAR can build more farm-to-market roads and bridges that are aimed at reducing traveling time of students and farmers alike, and sparing them from going through dirt roads and makeshift bridges, which are often "too dangerous and slippery during the rainy season."
"While we are working hard to uplift the standards of living of our poor farmers, we are also thinking of the future of our farmers' children. It is part of our efforts to make travel to and from the school by our students safer and more convenient," Pagdanganan said.
"What we do for our farmers will benefit the whole nation," he added.
Earlier, Marinduque Rep. Edmund Reyes filed House Bill 6307, which seeks to divert some or all of the Marcos money to the education sector. Senator Tessie Aquino-Oreta followed suit with her own version, Senate Bill 2603.
Pagdanganan told Reyes not to worry about the education sector as the same is already being addressed based on the framework for CARP's P30 billion special budget set by DAR and the Agrarian Reform Council (PARC).
Pagdanganan bared that P1 billion of the budget shall be allocated for the construction of school buildings in agrarian reform communities (ARC).
Several ARCs have already been established in several parts of Pampanga, the first batch in Candaba's Tagalog region.
Land acquisition and provision of support services are still Pagdanganan's major concerns. P8 billion of the whole budget is allocated for land acquisition, P7.77 billion as government's counterpart fund for foreign assisted projects, P4 billion for CARP-funded farm-to-market roads, P2 billion for irrigation, P3 billion for other infrastructure projects, and P1 billion for post-harvest facilities.
He added that another P1 billion is intended for social and cooperative strengthening program, P300 million for agrarian justice, P250 million for technical and marketing support, and P100 million for farmer-beneficiaries' health program through the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).
The remaining P1.6 billion will cover administrative cost, Pagdanganan added.
Pagdanganan also assured the public that the money would be used solely for land distribution and provision of support services for the welfare of farmer-beneficiaries and their children.
Pagdanganan also urged other private sectors to organize an independent body to monitor the disbursement of the said fund.
(November 22, 2003 issue)
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