ANGELES CITY—Officials of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) conducted a four-day year-end summative assessment for calendar year 2022 (CY) and direction-setting conference for CY 2023.
DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III said the objective of the activity is to look back at what has been accomplished in 2022 and make plans for a better performance in 2023.
Estrella laid out his priorities to address social justice and improve the lives of poor farmers through the land reform program.
“We are eyeing more resilient programs by reinforcing the three main goals of the department – to speed up land distribution, ensure delivery of agrarian justice, and empower the agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs),” Estrella said.
The discussion zeroed in on the issues and challenges that cropped up in 2022 to map up plans for confronting and resolving them to ensure the unimpeded implementation of the DAR’s land acquisition and distribution, provision of support services and delivery of agrarian justice.
“Aside from these three main goals, I will push the DAR officials and staff to achieve self-sufficiency for the ARBs, create progressive agrarian cooperatives, and sustainable and resilient agrarian reform communities,” Estrella added.
Estrella called on his central and regional directors to strategize on how to improve the implementation of agrarian reform program in the country.
During the plenary and focus group discussion, the participants were able to identify the internal and external drivers and barriers of the DAR, which either helped or hindered in the achievements of its targets.
The activity also focused on ensuring that the development thrusts of the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. are integrated into the programs and services of DAR.
Estrella directed his officials to implement agrarian reform laws to aid in fighting for farmers’ rights and expediting agrarian legal cases.
The CARP audit is an annual activity of the DAR to ensure the transparency and accountability of the agrarian reform program.
DAR is the lead government agency that holds and implements comprehensive and genuine agrarian reform that actualizes equitable land distribution, ownership, agricultural productivity, and tenurial security for the tillers of the land to improve their lives.
The assessment and planning conference was held on February 7-10, 2023 in Angeles City.
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