Good Leadership in Agrarian Reform Implementation Means Fealty to the Rules on Conversion and the Sp
Below is the Press Statement of Former DAR Officials during the Sumilao Farmers' Press Conference at the Department of Agrarian Reform, December 12, 2007, which I got from the Sumilao March site:
Press Statement issued by the former DAR executives in support of Sumilao farmers
12 December 2007
We call upon or colleagues in the Department of Agrarian Reform to uphold the letter and spirit of the rules on conversion, and in the process strengthen the institution and increase its legitimacy.
This case for immediate revocation is based very clearly in the rules of the DAR. A conversion order is given to an applicant as an exception to the general rule that agricultural lands should be covered under agrarian reform. And therefore if the specifics of the conversion order are not complied with within the time frame of five years, then the property reverts back to the coverage of agrarian reform. It is also very clear that non-compliance with the strict rules on conversion requires its immediate revocation and distribution to the farmer-beneficiaries.
SMFI’s argument that they bought the property in good faith contradicts the claims of its owner that they do good business and good corporate citizenship. They should know that they bought an agricultural land conditioned upon the compliance with the conversion order granted to its previous owner. They should also know that a piggery farm is very inconsistent with the “ Mindanao Center ” envisioned by the BAIDA project.
CARP is very rational. The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL) was enacted to address inequities in the countryside that limit the potentials and opportunities of farmers to improve their economic conditions. Studies and on the ground experiences show that distributing lands to farmers and providing them with support services result in farmer beneficiaries becoming non-poor. These success stories show that when asset reform is addressed, economic development ensues.
Finally, we also urge all parties to look for various ways and means of exploring alternative modes of resolving the conflict, so that all the stakeholders concerned would be able to find a win-win solution to the case.
An immediate cease-and-desist order for the meantime would provide all parties the proper environment to seek for constructive solutions to this knotty problem in Sumilao.
Signed:
FLORENCIO ABAD
DAR Secretary, 1990
ERNESTO GARILAO
DAR Secretary, 1993-1998
JOSE MARI PONCE
DAR Secretary, 2004
HECTOR D. SOLIMAN
Former Undersecretary
GERARDO BULATAO
Former Undersecretary
CLIFFORD BURKLEY
Former Assistant Secretary
FERDINAND CASIS
Former Director for Legal
Press Statement issued by the former DAR executives in support of Sumilao farmers
12 December 2007
We call upon or colleagues in the Department of Agrarian Reform to uphold the letter and spirit of the rules on conversion, and in the process strengthen the institution and increase its legitimacy.
This case for immediate revocation is based very clearly in the rules of the DAR. A conversion order is given to an applicant as an exception to the general rule that agricultural lands should be covered under agrarian reform. And therefore if the specifics of the conversion order are not complied with within the time frame of five years, then the property reverts back to the coverage of agrarian reform. It is also very clear that non-compliance with the strict rules on conversion requires its immediate revocation and distribution to the farmer-beneficiaries.
SMFI’s argument that they bought the property in good faith contradicts the claims of its owner that they do good business and good corporate citizenship. They should know that they bought an agricultural land conditioned upon the compliance with the conversion order granted to its previous owner. They should also know that a piggery farm is very inconsistent with the “ Mindanao Center ” envisioned by the BAIDA project.
CARP is very rational. The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL) was enacted to address inequities in the countryside that limit the potentials and opportunities of farmers to improve their economic conditions. Studies and on the ground experiences show that distributing lands to farmers and providing them with support services result in farmer beneficiaries becoming non-poor. These success stories show that when asset reform is addressed, economic development ensues.
Finally, we also urge all parties to look for various ways and means of exploring alternative modes of resolving the conflict, so that all the stakeholders concerned would be able to find a win-win solution to the case.
An immediate cease-and-desist order for the meantime would provide all parties the proper environment to seek for constructive solutions to this knotty problem in Sumilao.
Signed:
FLORENCIO ABAD
DAR Secretary, 1990
ERNESTO GARILAO
DAR Secretary, 1993-1998
JOSE MARI PONCE
DAR Secretary, 2004
HECTOR D. SOLIMAN
Former Undersecretary
GERARDO BULATAO
Former Undersecretary
CLIFFORD BURKLEY
Former Assistant Secretary
FERDINAND CASIS
Former Director for Legal