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IN Barangay Mapangpang, Lupao, Nueva Ecija, most of the families of
farmers who were beneficiaries of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform
Program (CARP) now have bigger homes, and have acquired television
sets, stereos and other gadgets that they could only dream about
before. Oops, lest I give the wrong impression, I must hasten to add
that their lives became more comfortable not because of CARP but in
spite of it. You see, they acquired these assets because they have
family members who have gone abroad as domestic helpers. In fact,
very few young men want to work in the farm because they don’t see
any progress in it.
I know about Mapangpang because our family used
to own some farm lands there. My parents were farmers but through
dint of hard work and penny pinching, they were able to acquire some
lands there and in four other barangays, but the biggest was in
Mapangpang. Our lands were reformed not by the CARP of 1988 but by a
presidential proclamation in 1972, during the martial law days. My
parents and I used to argue about this because I favored land reform
while they bitterly opposed it. They would tell me that I never
experienced their hard work and sacrifices in buying the farms, only
to have them confiscated for a song. They were so heartbroken by the
loss of their land that they decided to migrate to the United States
and never returned until their death.
I am still for land reform. I agree with the
social concept of land ownership for actual tillers but farmers must
pay for the land given them at liberal terms. Unfortunately, many
had failed to pay mainly because they did not have the money to buy
pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, and to pay for planting and
harvesting. It took only one infestation of “tungro” and the
farmer-beneficiaries immediately went under. Their finances sank
deeper when they had to borrow from private individuals at high
interest rates. With these problems, they could not amortize the
land. Most of them ended up selling their “rights” to other
farmers.
CARP extension being rushed
Now, the House and the Senate are trying to rush
the approval of the extension of the CARP that is due to expire on
June 17, 2008. If ever it would be extended, it should assure that
both farmers and landowners would benefit. I take note of the
admission by Agriculture Undersecretary Bernie Fontevilla at a
Senate hearing last Wednesday that land distribution and acquisition
under CARP had not resulted in improved quality of life among the
beneficiaries mainly because of lack of support services.
Sen. Edgardo Angara, one of most knowledgeable
about farming in the Senate, said that in other countries, farmers
are rich and they are usually looked up to with respect. He is
hopeful that the same thing would happen soon in our country but he
stressed that appropriate investment in agriculture and adequate
support services should be offered.
The CARP bill has a budget of P147 billion for
the five-year extension period. Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Joker
Arroyo have a very sensible proposal—extend the life of CARP but
no acquisition and distribution of new lands.
They said that the P147 billion should be used
for extension services for existing beneficiaries. Sen. Rodolfo
Biazon has another problem—most of the original beneficiaries are
already gone. He said that about 350,000 beneficiaries had already
sold their rights to other farmers and that these rights had been
sold and resold a number of times even within the 10-year ban. He
named a vast land in Mexico, Pampanga, that was sold by
farmer-beneficiaries within two years after getting their
certificates of land ownership.
Short notes
• I am impressed by the way Sen. Noynoy Aquino
interpellated JPE on the proposed amendments to the Electric Power
Industry Reform Act. The young solon really pored over related
papers, and this showed in his scholarly and well-researched
questions and observations during the floor debates. Well, one has
to if he dares to tangle with an intellectual giant like JPE. Some
more of this kind from him, and he will show to all that he really
belongs to the Senate. Some are mere interlopers or even pretenders,
you know.
• Senate Minority Leader Nene Pimentel Jr.
launched his fourth book “Junketing—Senatorial Style” in a
well-attended ceremony at the Senate last Thursday. I asked Nene if
the book defends junkets. “You have to buy the book to find
out,” he replied.
• Sen. Dick Gordon, concurrently chairman of
the Philippine National Red Cross, heads the Philippine delegation
to the Asean-UN International Pledging Conference for the Myanmar
cyclone victims being held in Yangoon. PNRC has also offered to help
China in rescue operations after powerful earthquake struck China on
May 12.
efrendanao2003@yahoo.com
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