Members of the House committee on appropriations are pushing for a P5 billion additional budget in the Department of Agrarian Reform’s (DAR) proposed P8.8-billion 2021 budget to support the agency’s ‘mega farms’ project.
The House committee found the allocation for the DAR’s budget too small for the agency to fully implement land distribution and acquisition and all its programs and support services projects.
Rep. Argel Cabatbat of Ang Magsasaka Partylist supports the DAR in increasing the allocation for the agency’s ‘mega farms’ project, where the farm lots given to agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) would be developed into specialized and high-yielding crop production areas.
“Kaya naman po sana mapondohan natin ito, Mr. Chair. And ako, I would move, Mr. Chair, to accommodate [an] increase in the budget of DAR in the amount of P5 billion para po ma-accommodate itong pilot project na ito (I hope this [mega farms] will be funded, Mr. Chair. And I would move, Mr. Chair to accommodate an increase in the budget of DAR in the amount of P5 billion to accommodate this pilot project),” Cabatbat said during the recent hearing on DAR’s proposed budget for 2021.
DAR’s proposed mega farms initiative is part of the “Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa” program. This is Senator Bong Go’s pet project which was launched to decongest Metro Manila as a long-term solution to the coronavirus pandemic.
DAR Undersecretary for Field Operations Office David Erro explained to lawmakers that support services for ARBs will be incorporated into these mega farms. The farmers will also be organized into a cooperative.
“For example, in one area in Central Luzon, we will be targeting around 50 hectares. Then we will infuse all the support services into that 50 hectares of land. They can develop rice production in that area by infusing modern technology,” Erro said.
“The mega farms would help ensure food security and will address other problems under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.”
DAR Undersecretary for Foreign Assisted and Special Projects Office (FASPO) Bernie Cruz supported Erro by saying that the mega farms would help ensure food security and will address other problems under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
“Ang tingin po kasi natin dito, ‘yung nangyari sa CARP at that time, siguro tama siya, subsistence farming. So mabubuhay ang magsasaka pero ‘yung productivity natin para mabuhay ‘yung ating population para magkaroon ng food security ang bansa, parang nawala (I think, what happened with CARP at that time, perhaps it’s correct, subsistence farming. So, it will benefit farmers but our productivity for our population and to have food security in our country, I think, it was not achieved),” Cruz said.
“The mega farm was conceptualized to make it open to have commercial farming along with our farmers.”
The official said the mega farm was conceptualized to make it open to have commercial farming along with our farmers.
Another legislator, Deputy Speaker LRay Villafuerte also proposed to increase the DAR budget saying he would move to give DAR P3 billion to P5 billion for the implementation of the mega farms project.
“Napakaliit ng budget ng DAR. Napakalaki ng responsibilidad pero napakaliit ng pondo. I will strongly push na mapondohan itong mega farming concept with at least P3 billion to P5 billion para matulungan ang ating mga farmer (DAR has a small budget but it has an enormous responsibility. I will strongly push to fund this mega farming concept with at least P3 billion to P5 billion to help our farmers),” Villafuerte said.
At the budget hearing, DAR Undersecretary for Finance Lucius Junjun Malsi told the committee that they initially requested a budget of P32.9 billion for 2021. But the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) enforced a ceiling for DAR of only P8.85 billion, which means that the allocations for the agency’s other programs — including the mega farms project — will be affected.
The appropriations committee terminated DAR’s budget hearing after four hours.
Lawmakers can still formally move to increase DAR’s proposed budget by P5 billion once the entire 2021 budget is brought before the plenary for debates and amendments.