DAR chief to push for moratorium, condonation of farmers’ loan payments
THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) will implement loan payment condonation as well as a moratorium on payments of amortization and interest for agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBS), as instructed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr.
In a news release, DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III said the land reform program will continue under the Marcos administration, but vowed that it will be more vigorous this time around, starting with Marcos’ pronouncements at his first State of the Nation Address on July 25.
“We don’t stop at just giving lands to ARBS, we also think about their welfare. After two years of the pandemic, just like us, our ARBS have been experiencing financial difficulties too. These plans of the President will be a very big help to them,” Estrella said.
In his SONA, Marcos said he will issue an executive order imposing a one-year moratorium on the payment of land amortization and interest payments.
The President said the moratorium will allow farmers “to channel their resources in developing their farms, maximizing their capacity to produce and propel the growth of our economy.”
Reacting to this, Estrella said that the Office of the President is already drafting the executive order that will unburden the farmers of their dues.
“Once drafted and approved for implementation, this moratorium would be beneficial to 654,047 ARBS,” Estrella said.
The President also urged Congress to pass a law that will lift the burden off ARBS who have loan dues so they could concentrate on farm productivity.
He said an amendment to Section 26 of Republic Act (RA) 6657, or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988, is needed to unburden the farmers from their loans and interests. In this law, the loans of ARBS with unpaid amortization and interest shall be condoned.
“We are ready to work and coordinate with Congress and the Senate for whatever they need for this bill to be passed,” Estrella said.
Estrella said that prior to the President’s SONA, the DAR submitted to the President a report that there are 52,000 hectares of unused government agricultural lands that are up for distribution under EO 75.
“According to Section 40 of RA 6657, agricultural lands can also be distributed to landless war veterans, landless surviving spouses and orphans of war veterans, and landless retirees of the Armed Forces of the Philippines [AFP] and the Philippine National Police [PNP],” Estrella said.
He added that under DAR Administrative Order (AO) No. 03 issued in 1997, returnees, surrenderees, and similar beneficiaries—aside from AFP and PNP beneficiaries—shall be considered in the disposition of agricultural lands.
“The President, upon knowing these, ordered us to reserve 50,000+ hectares of land for distribution to them. And to encourage the youth to farm, agricultural graduates are also included,” he said.
Executive Order No. 75, Series of 2019 directs all government agencies, bureaus, departments, and instrumentalities to turn over agricultural lands owned by the government for distribution to qualified agrarian reform beneficiaries.
“At present, we are continually distributing lands and are focused, too, on providing the needed support services of farmers. I want our farmers to be extraordinary. So, we are not only providing farm machines and inputs but also training them to become modern farmers adept at using modern technology and training them too, to become entrepreneurs,” Estrella said.