THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) wants to increase its budget in 2025 to P11.101 billion.
Its proposed budget is 35 percent higher than the P8.579 billion it was allocated in 2024.
Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella 3rd told the House appropriations committee that P5.048 billion will be for maintenance and other operating expenses, P5.823 billion for personnel services, and P230 million for capital outlay.
Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella 3rd. Photo courtesy of DAR
Estrella said the budget will be used to sustain the upward trajectory of land distribution, as well as the complete distribution of condonation certificates.
He also said the higher budget will also hasten the implementation of Executive Order 75, Series of 2019, which would push for the inclusion of land grants to retired soldiers and policemen, rebel returnees, graduates of four year agricultural courses and overseas Filipino workers into modern agrarian reform communities.
It would also accelerate the resolution of remaining agrarian reform cases, and retooling the agrarian reform cooperatives with partnerships with the private sector that would utilize modern agricultural technologies to increase productivity.
Estrella said under Republic Act 11953 or the new Agrarian Emancipation act, P57.557 billion worth of debt had been condoned, covering 610,054 agrarian reform beneficiaries and 1.173 million hectares of farmland.
“We have established condonation centers all over the country which will assist our agrarian reform beneficiaries so they can help them in the processing of their certificates,” Estrella said.
For this year, DAR plans to distribute 300,000 certificates of condonation and release of mortgage, half of the requirements set by the law.
Gabriela Partylist Rep. Arlene Brosas asked Estrella if there are safeguards that would enable farmers to get their own titles without the fear of their land being repossessed.
Estrella said the majority of agrarian reform beneficiaries who have collective CLOA (Certificate of Land Ownership Awards) were being provided with individual titles. “They are now more energized in farming their own lands as they already know where they will farm, and this will provide additional revenue to our local government units,” he said.
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