About P3.52 billion will be given to the Department of Agrarian Reform in 2023 for the fulfillment of its land tenure services that will benefit Filipino farmers, the Department of Budget and Management said.
The proposed funding for the implementation of the DAR’s Land Tenure Security Program (LTSP) was included in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) 2023 submitted to Congress.
The proposed P3.52-B budget would enable the DAR to acquire and register about 27,942 hectares of land, as well as to distribute 27,102 hectares of private agricultural and government-owned lands in favor of Filipino farmers.
It said the LTSP funds for next year would cover five subprograms – land acquisition and distribution with a proposed budget of P3.03B, non-land transfer activities (P11.89 million), landowners’ compensation by the Land Bank of the Philippines (P256.78M), post-land distribution (P65.12M), and other engagements in keeping with the LTSP (P152.95M).
The DAR is the lead government agency mandated to implement comprehensive agrarian reform, which actualizes equitable land distribution, ownership, agricultural productivity, and tenurial security for, of, and with the tillers of the land towards the improvement of their quality of life.
The LTSP is DAR’s major undertaking, along with the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Development and Sustainability Program and Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling.
DBM Sec. Amenah Pangandaman said allocation of funds for the LTSP would help uplift the lives and improve the productivity of Filipino farmers. – PNA
April 19, 2024
