CARP law be made to lapse

We had quite an interesting discussion last night at Feedback on TV on the expiration on Feb. 9, 2007 of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program with our usual co-hosts Toti Ramos and Modi Sa-onoy, both articulate and knowledgeable on any topic thrown at them.

Toti traced the history of CARP which he considered a good law but whose implementation has been faulty. Because he believes in it, he even has submitted to a voluntary offer to sell or VOS 40 hectares of his 100 hectares to his farm laborers.

Toti gave statistics which are an eye opener. The government has spent already P200 billion for CARP. This was supposed to benefit 5 million agrarian reform beneficiaries tilling some 5.5 million hectares of land.

The CARP law was passed in 1988 intended to improve agricultural productivity and alleviate poverty. In the discussion, both Toti and Modi pointed out the life of the agrarian reform beneficiaries has not improved since. Many of the CARPED lands are even no longer in the possession of these ARBs and worse, land taxes were not paid.

In its amortization, it was pointed out Land Bank one time said, payment was less than 20 percent.

CARP law should be made to lapse.

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Incidentally, we received feedback on the topic. Ms Marissa Espinas e-mailed me some facts. Peru, she wrote, was one of the world's top sugar exporters before it initiated land reform.

After large plantations were dismantled, its sugar industry collapsed and never recovered.

Years ago, she added, a Redemptorist priest said "Filipinos don't really know what to do with their land so many good areas remain idle or conflicted."

Years ago, she added, there was also Irish land reform after the English gave them independence. But before reorganizing landholdings, a study was made as to minimum viable areas for certain land use. Findings were something like, cattle and dairy farm, 100 hectares; sheep farm, 50 has.; potato farm, 20 has.; vegetables, 12 hectares.

Ms Espinas added, "Existing operations were not broken up just adjusted to viable size." Agriculture is a business removed from sentiment or political ideology, so a wholesale allotment of five hectares per farmer is a death blow. What kind of tractor can a farmer buy and maintain five hectares? she asked.

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A day earlier, I received a letter from a friend Joaquin Abalajon. Jake also reacted to my column "Let us not renew CARP" which he fully agreed and offered good suggestions. He suggested an organization of a Regional Economic Commission that will study productivity and alleviate poverty. I agree with Jake Abalajon. It should be regional, not national.

Jake enclosed copies of his many studies on land reform and his letter to Senatorial candidate Juan Miguel Zubiri.

Abalajon, in his letter to Zubiri, also called for a study on cost-benefit, the same idea brought up by both Toti Ramos and Modi Sa-onoy. How much is government spending for CARP. And what are the benefits?

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This brings me to the issue of our lawmakers. Senatorial Candidate Mike Defensor is in town. His grandmother, a Villarico, is from Negros. His heart is for the Negrenses and for the sugar industry and like all who support the sugar industry, also needs our support. We will return the favor.

We also need Ilonggos and Visayans in the Senate. There are 24 Senators, supposed to be divided with Luzon having 12, Visayas to have 6 and Mindanao to also have 6.

We don't have that. So, we need Visayans there like Defensor, Osmeña, Coseteng, Zubiri, Pichay, and Pimentel. Who else?

If we have the problem of Imperial Manila, one reason is we overlooked to vote Visayans or Ilonggos to the Senate.

I recall, we had Ilonggo candidates like Buc-an Yulo, Wilson Gamboa, Frank Chavez who are Negrenses. They failed to win.

We never had a Senator since Perico Hernaez in the 60s, more than 40 years ago.

And come to think of it, Negros Occidental is one of the vote-rich provinces. Iloilo had its Rodolfo Ganzon, Franklin Drilon, and Miriam Defensor Santiago who is still there.

Countdown: From today, there are only 17 days left to election day. But there are only 15 days for campaigning.

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I got interesting feedback from texts on my column on performance yesterday.

The comments "There are good performance and bad performance. Let us not also forget the bad performance."

That some perform in order to cover up for their bad performance.*

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