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THE
Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) and the
Philippine Rice Research Institute (Philrice) under the
Department of Agriculture (DA) are conducting a survey
of rice lands that were converted into other
agricultural and nonagricultural purposes.
Dr.
Frisco Malabanan, director of the Ginintuang Masaganang
Ani (GMA) Rice Program under the DA, said the BAS and
Philrice are targeting to release its findings in time
for the National Food Summit scheduled for Friday.
“They
started the survey sometime during late January or early
February. The survey was undertaken to determine whether
the conversion of rice lands into other uses had a
significant impact on rice production,” said Malabanan
in a phone interview.
The DA
official disclosed that the BAS and Philrice focused
their survey mainly on rice-producing areas and
provinces.
Sources
in the DA said the BAS and Philrice initially had a hard
time gathering data from local government units (LGUs)
because, apparently, they did not have data on converted
lands.
“The
secretary has ordered to undertake a study as to the
pace of the conversion of irrigated farm lands to
nonagricultural use in certain areas,” said Malabanan.
Earlier, he noted that land conversion is occurring in
provinces in Central Luzon such as Bulacan, Nueva Ecija
and Tarlac.
Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap ordered the conduct
of the survey so the department can get an accurate
picture of the extent of land conversion in the country.
Yap also
said he is looking into the possibility of recommending
the passage of a measure that will compensate the
government for the conversion of farmlands for nonagri
purposes.
Earlier,
Malabanan said that the continuous conversion of
irrigated farmlands into nonagri purposes could threaten
the efforts of the government to achieve “rice self-suffiency”
by 2010.
Central
Luzon is considered as the “rice granary of the
Philippines,” while Nueva Ecija, which is located in the
region, is considered the country’s top rice-producing
province.
The DA
official said an increasing cause for concern is the
conversion of irrigated rice lands into real estate
subdivisions or golf courses in these areas.
Malaban
said that under the Comprehensive Rules on Land Use
Conversion, irrigated farmlands planted to rice can be
planted to other crops like corn and banana.
“What’s
prohibited under the law is to convert irrigated
farmlands into nonagricultural use like real estate
subdivisions,” he said.
In 2002
the Department of Agrarian Reform issued Administrative
Order 1, or the Comprehensive Rules on Land Use
Conversion, pursuant to Republic Act 6657, or the
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988. Section 4 of
the rules list the “areas nonnegotiable for conversion.”
Under
the provision, all irrigated lands as delineated by the
DA and/or the National Irrigation Administration (NIA)
where water is available to support rice and other crop
production, and all irrigated lands where water is not
available for rice and other crop production, but are
within areas programmed for irrigation facility
rehabilitation by the government, are exempted from land
conversion.
Also
considered “nonnegotiable for conversion” are irrigable
lands already covered by irrigation projects with firm
funding commitments as delineated by the DA and/or NIA,
and all agricultural lands with irrigation facilities.
The DA
official, however, noted that LGUs are allowed to
convert a certain percentage of farmlands into other
uses. |
