Briefer on the New Agrarian Emancipation Act

Caveat: Since we are still looking at a draft of the said legislative

measure, any provisions or information contained herein is still subject
to revisions upon further deliberations by either the House Committee on
Agrarian Reform or the Congressional Plenary.

Full Title:
An Act Emancipating Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries From Financial Burden By
Condoning Unpaid Amortizations And Interests And Extending Estate Tax
Amnesty On Agricultural Lands Awarded Under The Comprehensive Agrarian
Reform Program And For Other Purposes

Primary Proponent:

Department of Agrarian Reform

Status:

Draft bill for approval by the House Committee on Agrarian Reform. To be

submitted to the House plenary upon approval.

Background:

Conceived from PBBM’s desire to further strengthen support to ARBs and to

contribute to the end goal of the comprehensive agrarian reform program which
was started by the current Secretary’s grandfather, Conrado F. Estrella Sr. and
PBBM’s father, Pres. Ferdinand Marcos.

Summary:

Existing debt obligations of agrarian reform beneficiaries shall be condoned

and written off. This includes all unpaid amortizations and interests, including
penalties or surcharges, if any, due from loans secured under the
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. Furthermore, the Government shall
substitute the ARBs as debtors in any pre existing debts under the Voluntary
Land Transfer Program. Payment of the remaining balance of the compensation
due the concerned landowners under the voluntary land transfer and direct
payment schemes, if any, shall be paid by the Government from the Agrarian
Reform Fund through the LBP.
Any identified ARBs shall be awarded lands without any additional costs or
financial obligations on their part.

Broadened scope of support services for agrarian reform beneficiaries care of

DAR and PARC. This is without prejudice to any other form of support from
other National Government agencies so no duplicity of support services shall
exist.

Disqualification from the benefits presented under this Act shall also be meted
out for ARBs found to be guilty by final judgement of any acts and omissions
under Section 74 of RA 6657. The same penalty shall also be given to any ARBs
found to have abandoned his or her awarded land continuously for a period of
two (2) years.

The Act shall not eliminate or diminish the landowners’ right of just
compensation for any land acquired under the agrarian reform program.

All CARP implementing agencies as well as concerned local government units

area hereby mandated to provide all necessary assistance in the observation
and implementation of this Act.