Negros Oriental: 40,000 CARP Beneficiaries Eligible for Loan Condonation

DUMAGUETE – In Negros Oriental, approximately 40,000 beneficiaries of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) are eligible for the government’s loan condonation program. This initiative aims to alleviate the financial burden of farmers who have received agricultural lands under CARP.

According to Philippines News Agency, Manuel Galon Jr., Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer 1 of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Negros Oriental, informed the Philippine News Agency on Tuesday about the scope of the program. It includes coverage for the farmers’ principal loans, unpaid amortizations, and interests. Galon explained that these beneficiaries, having been awarded agricultural lands under CARP, fall under the compensable category and are thus eligible for the condonation, allowing them to clear their debts.

Since CARP’s inception in the late 1970s by President Ferdinand E. Marcos, an estimated 120,000 individuals have received Certificates of Land Ownership Awards. According to DAR records, Galon noted that about 40,000 of these beneficiaries have fully paid their dues, while another 40,000 are categorized as non-compensable, making them ineligible for condonation.

Galon encouraged the qualified beneficiaries to visit condonation centers and apply for the program. Republic Act (RA) 11953, known as the New Agrarian Reform Emancipation Act, was signed into law on July 9, 2023. This act condones all loans, including interests, penalties, and surcharges incurred by Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) from land awarded to them.

The condonation under RA 11953 affects an estimated 1.173 million hectares of land and is expected to benefit around 610,054 ARBs. These beneficiaries collectively have an estimated PHP57.55 billion in unpaid amortizations. Furthermore, the act terminates the payment of PHP206.247 million in unpaid just compensation to landowners by 10,201 ARBs tilling 11,531 hectares of land acquired through voluntary land transfer or direct payment schemes.

Additional benefits for ARBs under this legislation include exemption from estate tax payment and mandatory inclusion in the Registry System of Basic Sectors in Agriculture. This inclusion aims to provide them with easier access to the support services of the Department of Agriculture.