Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Conrado Estrella III has urged the agency’s frontliners, particularly Chief Agrarian Reform Program Officers (CARPOs) and Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officers (MARPOs), to actively engage the public in understanding the challenges tied to the allocation of the 2025 national budget.
“I feel saddened seeing our beloved President working tirelessly, visiting the agrarian reform communities and bringing the government closer to the people. The government operates under a system of checks and balances involving the executive, the legislative, and the judiciary,” Estrella said during the Luzon Batch Competency Development and Advancement Program.
Held from January 14 to 18, 2025, at Sequoia Hotel in Quezon City, the event brought together 289 CARPOs and MARPOs to enhance their skills, update them on key directives, and evaluate their performance in implementing programs under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
Focus on Field Operations and New Directives
Undersecretary for Field Operations Atty. Kazel Celeste emphasized addressing challenges in Land Acquisition and Distribution (LAD). She outlined six new directives to strengthen DAR’s operations:
- Accelerate digital transformation of field operations.
- Foster collaboration with partner agencies.
- Empower grassroots leaders.
- Implement a collaborative, bottom-up approach.
- Drive field offices, the Bureau of Land Acquisition and Distribution (BLAD), and the Bureau of Land Tenure Improvement (BLTI) to deliver results.
- Cultivate an encouraging and supportive management culture.
Celeste also reviewed the findings of DAR’s National Assessment held in mid-2024. The assessment focused on performance in major programs like the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) project. Key discussions revolved around improving CARPOs’ and MARPOs’ capacities to manage programs such as land acquisition, distribution, and the parcelization of Collective Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CCLOA).
Addressing Challenges and Budget Concerns
The conference tackled LAD backlogs and the difficulties in parcelizing CCLOAs across municipalities and provinces. These efforts aim to ensure the continuity of agrarian reform programs despite the constraints posed by the 2025 national budget.
“With these initiatives, DAR remains committed to advancing agrarian reform and ensuring Filipino farmers benefit from the programs and projects despite the challenges we face,” Celeste affirmed.
The event underscores DAR’s resolve to equip its frontliners with the tools and knowledge necessary to address challenges and fulfill its mission to uplift the lives of Filipino farmers.