A view of CARP

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor GUILLERMO TEJIDA III Desk Editor NANETTE L. GUADALQUIVER Busines Editor CEDELF P. TUPAS Sports Editor (On Leave) RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

The recent pronouncement by a group of experts in our country on the impact of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program stating that the income of beneficiaries has increased since 1990 up to 2006 is worth looking into.

Their conclusions are based on a third party study done on the impact of CARP.

A University of the Philippines-Los Baños expert, Dr. Prudencio Gordoncillo, said that agrarian reform beneficiaries have accumulated more assets and investments in their farms compared to non-agrarian reform beneficiaries.

Ateneo de Manila University expert Dr. Cielito Habito said studies show significant increase in aggregate agricultural land productivity per hectare after the implementation of CARP due to intensive land use and asset form.

In 1990, the total yearly income per household of agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARB) was pegged at P47,599. By 2000, the total income of each household rose to P86,854. Last year, the total income is at P100,109 per year, he said.

The Philippine Institute of Development Studies also claimed that the average land productivity among ARB's is at P22,328 per hectare, more than twice than that of non-ARBs whose earnings amounted to only P10,214.

In Negros Oriental, the Department of Agrarian Reform reported that there are now 57,563 ARB's with 88,884 hectares of agricultural lands as of October 31, 2007 . Under CARP, some 325.8 kilometers of farm-to-market roads were completed while irrigation was provided to 4,538 hectares of agricultural lands in the agrarian reform communities.

We congratulate those responsible for the successful implementation of agrarian reform in their areas that was commended in 2006 during the International Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development sponsored by the United Nations in Brazil . Regrettably, however, many attempts at its implementation in other areas continue to be marred by conflicts and even bloodshed, which officials concerned have, so far, failed to resolve.*