DAR-7 likely to get more aid from Japan

The Central Visayas office of the Department of Agrarian Reform is likely to get more financial assistance from the Japanese government for the Agrarian Reform Communities in Cebu.

Last March 9, DAR officials from Manila led by Undersecretary Gerundio Madueno and assistant regional director for operations Eliasem Castillo led the representatives from the Ministry of Finance of Japan in visiting the Agrarian Reform Communities of Anapog-Camugao in Pinamungajan town.

The visit was upon the recommendation of Japan Bank for International Cooperation to get the support from the Ministry of Finance for financial assistance to DAR through the 27th Yen Loan Package.

Since 1997, the JBIC, through the Agrarian Reform Infrastructure Support Projects I and II, funded different infrastructure projects for DAR in Central Visayas such as irrigations, farm-to-market roads, post harvest facilities and rural water supply, and agricultural development projects such as rice, vegetable and animal productions.

The purpose of the visit was also for the Ministry of Finance and the JBIC representatives to observe a typical ARC and to determine the outcome of the projects that they funded.

DAR regional officials reported that the Japanese representatives were impressed by the responses of farmer-beneficiaries who were asked on the effects to their lives on projects that had been implemented by JBIC in the ARCs.

Meanwhile, DAR regional director Datu Yusoph Mama revealed that they had identified over 50,000 hectares of land in the region to be covered by CARP.

The discovery came during the review of agricultural titles obtained from the Land Registration Authority of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Mama said this would mean more farmer-beneficiaries will own lands, adding that since 1988, DAR had covered 85 percent of the originally identified CARP areas in the region. The remaining areas to be covered by CARP will account for at least 20,000 hectares.

The discovery would also mean an extension of the funding for the implementation of the CARP Law. The P1 billion intended for the implementation of CARP will end next year. - Gregg M. Rubio with Ferliza C. Contratista/LPM