A FEDERATION of farmers and agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) has called on President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to deliver his promises to freely distribute lands to farmers and to suspend their amortizations.
While they lauded the president’s plan, Task Force Mapalad (TFM) urged for the enactment of a law that would distribute newly-acquired land under the land acquisition and distribution (LAD) program to ARBs for free.
TFM president Teresita Tarlac said ARBs “have been burdened by Section 26 of Republic Act 6657, as amended, which compelled them to pay 30 annual amortizations at six percent (6 percent) interest per annum for the land allotted to them under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (Carp).”
“Para sa akin na isang Cloa holder, malaking kabawasan sa aming mga magsasaka na maibsan ng pasanin sa bayarin ng lupa sa Carp,” Tarlac said.
“Sana po ay madaliin na mapirmahan na ang Executive Order sa moratorium at maamyendahan and RA 6657 para maipamahagi ng libre sa mga magsasaka at tuluyan nang mapaunlad namin ang mga sakahan at pati na rin ang aming buhay,” the farmer leader said in a statement.
TFM earlier called for the extension of the moratorium on land amortizations by ARBs after it lapsed on April 8, 2021, saying the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic “prevented them from working on their land continuously and efficiently, reducing their harvest and income in the process.”
The farmer group said the agriculture sector, with about 9 million farmers and farm workers, along with 3.1 million ARBs, has been hit hardest by the pandemic.
“This is the reason why the sector grew by only 1.4 percent last year. Massive importations of rice, vegetables and fish have caused many farmers and fisherfolk to reduce their output and engaged in other economic activities,” the group said.
After Marcos talked of a one-year moratorium on land amortizations during his first State of the Nation Address (Sona), Tarlac said TFM would be waiting for a signed executive order to implement it.
Meanwhile, Tarlac said the free distribution of private agricultural land (PAL) under Carp “would be the biggest incentive for landless farmers to intensify cultivation, improve farm technology and even experiment with the three-season palay production system.”
The group also said the "ample support" from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) in the form of free seeds, irrigation service and reduced costs of fertilizer and pesticide would help in doubling their efforts in the production of safe, nutritious and cheaper crops. (SunStar Philippines)