The House Committee on Agrarian Reform yesterday approved a consolidated bill extending the life of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program for another five years, but further deliberations will have to be conducted before it becomes final, Negros solons said yesterday.

Sixteen committee members voted for the approval of the consolidation of 13 bills, while three objected, Rep. Jeffrey Ferrer (Neg. Occ., 4th District) said.

The consolidated bill provides for P100 billion to fund the program for the next five years.

The CARP expires on June 10, 2008.

Those who objected were Bayan Muna Representatives Satur Ocampo and Teodoro Casiño, and Gabriela’s Liza Maza.

None of the five Negros Occidental solons on the 40-man committee – Representatives Alfredo Marañon (2nd District), Jose Carlos Lacson (3rd District), Ferrer, Ignacio Arroyo Jr. (5th District) and Genaro Alvarez (6th District) voted, Rep. Abraham Kahlil Mitra (Palawan, 2nd District) told the DAILY STAR.

Marañon was present but had to leave for another meeting before the voting took place, Mitra said.

Ferrer, Arroyo and Marañon said the consolidated bill will have to be deliberated on in plenary before it becomes final.

Arroyo said a resolution he co-authored with Ferrer will also be consolidated into the new bill on CARP.

The resolution seeks the review of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law for the purpose of seeking a just and fair distribution of lands to legitimate farm workers and tillers.

Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman said more than one million hectares have yet to be distributed.

Casiño said they voted against the consolidated bill because they are opposed to the limited and flawed CARP program.

Meanwhile, Task Force Mapalad said in a press statement yesterday that restiveness in the peasant sector will not abate unless the extension of CARP ensures the distribution of the remaining 1.2 million hectares of private agricultural lands nationwide.

Jose Noel Olano, a member of TFM board of directors, said pending land cases involving thousands of potential and actual farmer-beneficiaries could lead to unwanted confrontations if the extended CARP did not provide for their resolution and focused only on provision of support services.

Olano, a former undersecretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform, also called on DAR officials to relieve President Arroyo of some headaches by promptly resolving the issue of distribution of Arroyo landholdings in Negros Occidental.

A group of Negros farmers slipped past presidential security last Tuesday and staged a lightning rally in front of Malacañang to call for distribution of Arroyo lands.

Meanwhile, TFM president Jose Rodito Angeles said the DAR and Land Bank had agreed to proceed with valuation of the 157-hectare Hacienda Bacan, owned by Rivulet Agro-Industrial Corporation, in Barangay Guintubhan, Isabela.

Angeles said the valuation would lead to the generation of certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs) for the 67 farmer-petitioners, 30 of whom belong to TFM.

An inspection of the hacienda by DAR and Land Bank is set on the last week of this month, TFM said.*CPG

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