HACIENDA LUISITA CONTROVERSY: DISTRIBUTION OF HECTARES

TRANSFERRING OF HECTARES

EXPLANATION: It is stated that since the implementation of Comprehensive Agrarian Reform

Program (CARP) in year 1988, more than 4.9 million hectares has been transferred by the
government on around 2.8 million landless farmers as per Department of Agrarian Reform
(DAR).

RADYO AGRARYO INTERVIEW

Last October 12, 2020 interview on “Radyo Agraryo” ─DAR’s Radio Program, it was stated by the
DAR Undersecretary for Field Operations David Erro, that a total of 4,924,000 hectares of
agricultural lands have been distributed to 2,894,000 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in
June 2020. He also stated that they have distributed 90%, exactly 5,441,000 hectares for
qualified beneficiaries since 1972 up to present, and will continually distribute the rest.

THE RESTATEMENT OF PENDING CASES

The Legal Affairs Office Undersecretary Luis Pagulayan stated that the DAR has an Agrarian
Justice Delivery program to address various legal issues arising from CARP implementation.

On the other hand, Pagulayan recalled that the DAR had approximately 80,000 pending agrarian
legal cases in 2017 but through DAR secretary John Castrisiones’ Zero backlog campaign, the
case has reduced the cases to 6,500 cases.

PAGULAYAN CASE UPDATE AND ASSURANCE

He assured that the remaining cases will be solved prior to that year with the help of 760
competent DAR lawyer across the country.

Aside from land distribution and agrarian justice delivery, the radio program mentioned, in
passing, that the DAR also provides support services to ARBs to help them improve their lands
and their economic status.

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