DAR employees protest transfer of central office to Davao

Employees at the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Central Office in Quezon City held a lunch-break rally the other day to protest the proposed transfer of the agency’s main office to Davao City.

The Department of Agrarian Reform Employees Association (DAREA) said that holding DAR’s main office in a place that is relatively apart from Metro Manila will affect the prompt processing of documents and that the expeditious delivery of services might only be compromised because of the move.

According to DAREA, while majority or almost all beneficiaries of the government’s Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) are in the rural areas, the program’s line government agencies, private organizations, the academe, and international organizations that are mostly benefactors supporting the services component of CARP hold offices in Metro Manila.

"The primary mandate of the DAR is to implement CARP, which is a social reform program intended to alleviate poverty in the agricultural sector. Coordinative activities with CARP stakeholders are in indispensable tool to achieve ultimate intention of the program," DAREA pointed out.

The DAREA likewise noted that the proposed transfer would require unnecessary expense by the government and its clients, as it will cause "tremendous social displacement" to families of affected DAR employees.

Moreover, DAREA stressed that the move is inconsistent with the Arroyo administration’s policy on austerity. It said the money that would be spent for the proposed transfer can be redirected to certain social programs that would directly benefit the poor.

DAREA said more than 1, 000 permanent personnel in the DAR Central Office would have to be relocated if the project pushes through.