The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR) have officially joined forces to advance agrarian reform in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Their partnership marked a significant milestone with the inaugural Joint DAR-MAFAR Coordinating Committee Meeting held on Thursday, January 16, 2025.
This collaboration stems from a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed on November 28, 2023, by DAR Secretary Conrado M. Estrella III and BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim, Al Haj. The MOU aims to enhance coordination and resource-sharing for the implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) in BARMM.
During the meeting, key officials and representatives from both agencies aligned strategies to accelerate the distribution of the remaining Land Acquisition and Distribution (LAD) balance. The LAD target includes 113,917.89 hectares of agricultural land, which will benefit 67,777 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs).
The LAD balances across BARMM provinces are as follows:
- Basilan: 11,475.55 hectares
- Lanao del Sur: 32,251.10 hectares
- Maguindanao: 53,364.75 hectares
- Sulu: 9,020.87 hectares
- Tawi-Tawi: 7,060.65 hectares
- Cotabato City: 760.52 hectares
- Special Geographic Areas: 1,127.81 hectares
In addition to land distribution, the meeting addressed other critical concerns, including the delivery of support services to farmers and ensuring agrarian justice.
DAR’s Undersecretary for Mindanao Affairs, Amihilda Sangcopan, highlighted the importance of the partnership in empowering Bangsamoro communities.
“This coordinating committee symbolizes our shared commitment to advancing agrarian reform as a pathway to progress, peace, and equity—not just for ARBs and their communities, but for the entire Bangsamoro people,” Sangcopan said.
MAFAR Minister Mohammad Yacob echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that the partnership is not just a convergence of agencies but also of national priorities and regional aspirations.
“Let us seize this opportunity to strengthen mechanisms that ensure our programs go beyond compliance with legal mandates and create a meaningful impact on the lives of Bangsamoro farmers,” Yacob concluded.
The partnership is expected to enhance the agricultural sector in BARMM and uplift the lives of thousands of agrarian reform beneficiaries in the region.