MANILA -- The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) targets to award 500,000 hectares of land to farmers in the next 10 years, DAR Secretary John Castriciones told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Friday.
In an interview, Castriciones said this would be under the second phase of the government's land reform program, following the policy directive of President Rodrigo Duterte.
The secretary explained the program also covers forest lands, mountains, and government lands, even those awarded to schools, military camps, and jails.
The land set for distribution would be used to plant high-yielding crops, such as rubber trees and coconuts, he said.
Castriciones said among the areas set to be distributed to farmers are in the provinces of Isabela, Quezon, Negros, Samar, Bukidnon, and Agusan, Bicol region, and the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
Castriciones said the process for the distribution of land starts with its measurement, then sub-dividing the land, identification of farmer beneficiaries, and appraisal if it falls under a private property.
The Landbank of the Philippines would then issue a valuation and finally, a Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) for qualified farmers.
Meanwhile, the DAR is still auditing part of Boracay that will be awarded to the resort island's indigenous people called "Atis" and "Unaks".
"We're auditing and surveying (the land owned by the Atis). There are also the Unaks. They have been farming in Boracay for a long time, so they are also entitled to own a portion of land in Boracay," Castriciones said.
The Phase 2 of the government's land reform program aims to award the remaining lands that had not been given to farmers under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program since its promulgation in 1987. (PNA)
