PRRD ‘strengthened’ efforts vs. monopolistic rule of landlords

FILE: .@pcoogov Secretary @martinandanar being interviewed by CCTV during the @asean2019 Summit in Thailand. (Photo: pcooglobalmedia/Twitter)

MANILA — A Palace official on Monday dismissed as “truly erroneous” a New York Times article which claimed that the Duterte administration has reinforced a monopolistic grip of landowners.

In the article “Philippine Peasants Were Promised Land. Staking a Claim Can Be Deadly” published on Dec. 27, 2019, journalist Peter Goodman claimed that the Duterte administration “has not challenged the monopolistic grip of landowners” to agricultural land.

Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar, however, said the article “reeks of irresponsible and unbalanced reporting” since it presented “inaccurate information” of the Duterte administration’s implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

The CARP is a special project of the government that aims to redistribute public and private agricultural lands to landless farmers.

Through the CARP initiative, the government envisions farmworkers to have equitable land ownership with empowered agrarian reform beneficiaries.

Data from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) showed that from 1972 to June 2019, around 4.8 million hectares of agricultural lands, 2.7 million hectares of which are privately owned, have already been distributed to some 2.

87 million agrarian reform beneficiaries.

“Had Goodman bothered to do the due diligence expected of his profession he would know that in fact the administration through the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has strong political will and continues to uphold the welfare of our landless farmers through the implementation of CARP despite current challenges and problems inherited from previous administrations,” Andanar said.

“In support of the programs of DAR, this administration has strengthened its efforts in addressing the monopolistic rule of landlords and landed families in different provinces and rural areas,” he added.

Andanar explained that the administration continues to secure, through certain laws and with conditions that all agricultural lands distributed to agrarian reform beneficiaries will remain with them and as agricultural lands.

“This initiative, along with the Presidential Complaint Center, ensures that beneficiaries’ rights are upheld and that abuses and manipulations being done by landlords are prevented or corrected,” Andanar said.

Citing accomplishments under the DAR, Andanar said the government has achieved landmark distributions of Certificate of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAs).

He also said the government also provides support services that will help the beneficiaries become self-sufficient and productive landowners.

“These are among the facts and information that Goodman could have easily accessed had he taken the proper time and channel to request for them instead of rushing the formal process, much like he rushed to conclusions with his limited knowledge,” Andanar said.

The PCOO chief, meanwhile, assured that the Duterte administration will continue to protect the rights of landless farmers beyond what has been done by previous administrations.