The Department of Agrarian Reform in Oriental Negros held the Provincial Agrarian Reform Assessment and Planning Workshop for CARP beyond 2008, Monday, at Plaza Maria Luisa Suites Inn, Dumaguete City.

The workshop called "Agrarian Reform for Broad-Based Rural Growth: Sustaining and Enhancing CARP Gains Beyond 2008," was in line with Special Order No. 154, Agriculture Secretary Nasser Pangandaman dated February 28, 2, to prepare DAR personnel and other stakeholders for advocacy regarding CARP beyond 2008, and develop or update the Provincial Agrarian Reform Development Plan, a DAR-Dumaguete press release said.

The discussion was focused on the framework paper whose contents are: approval by DAR Executive Committee on Nov. 16, 2006; Builds on "Public Report" to lay down a medium term framework for policy and action; emphasizes "LTI acceleration" and "CARP recalibration"; key in LTI: priority to landholdings being followed up by civil society organizations; key in agrarian justice: improvement of systems; key in program beneficiaries development; ARC connectivity and pay attention to consultancy relations strengthening; and energizing and managing the bureaucracy, the press release said.

Environment Undersecretary Gerry Bulatao who is now a consultant of Alliance for Rural Concerns, a COMELEC-accredited party list organization, and a campaign and advocacy network that focuses on agrarian reform and rural development, will attend the activity.

Also expected are Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer Grace Fua; Assistant Regional Director for Operations Eliasem Castillo; CARPO for Operations Regional Office Isagani Yee; CARPO for BDCD Dr. Antonio Del Socorro; OIC PARO Pacifico Quindo; a lawyer representing the City of Bayawan; different non-government organizations who are partners of DAR; one from the religious sector; different people's organizations; and other provincial staff, the press release added.*

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