Baguio City – The Dept of Agrarian Reform (DAR-Benguet) has titled more than 17,000 hectares of land with 16,529 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Benguet.
Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer Robert B. Ampaguey, bared this in a radio interview adding that DAR Benguet has 7,609 hectares more to be titled, from their Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program scope of 24,752.5171 hectares.
Land survey and titling are part of the Land Acquisition and Distribution (LAD) component, under the “Land Tenure Improvement” program of DAR. It has also non-LAD component under this program, which includes land transactions, leasehold and stock distribution option.
Ampaguey explained that DAR has also support services delivery, which includes “Social Infrastructure and local capability building, CARP funded & Foreign assisted projects, delivery of agrarian justice and the President Diosdado Macapagal Agrarian Scholarship Program (PDMASP).
Under Social Infrastructure and local capability building, DAR is involved in the launching of Agrarian Reform Communities (ARCs), strengthening of People’s Organization and trainings for ARBs.
On CARP projects,so far DAR-Benguet had already finished almost P200 Billion worth of infrastructure projects in the province.
Under PDMASP, DAR-Benguet have 18 approved scholars this year, DAR Admin/Finance chief Mr Jesse Tayaban explained that the PDMASP is initiated by Pres Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in 2003, for the dependents of ARBs, to strengthen CARP and to commemorate RA 3844. So far, DAR-Benguet already produced 18 graduates under the said program and there are six current scholars, Tayaban added.
Agrarian Reform Infrastructure Support Project (ARISP), which provides a package of support services designed to improve the productivity and income of selected ARCs nationwide has seven components such as; irrigation, FMR, post harvest facilities, rural water supply, agri-institutional development, agrarian information/marketing center and project management and operational support.
DAR-Benguet’s ARISP is implemented in three phases. So far the office already implemented Phase I – with Taloy Norte ARC in Tuba as recipient; and Phase II – with NPC ARC in Atok and Aduyon ARC in Tublay as recipients. Meanwhile, phase III is set to be implemented from 2008-2014. Under ARISP Phase III, Bakun, Kapangan and Kibungan ARC were recommended by DAR and endorsed by the RDC.
On the CARP extension issue, Ampaguey confirmed that DAR is pushing for a 10- year extension of CARP and that they have already submitted their position to Congress.**LitoDar/PIA
