|
BACOLOD
CITY—Businessmen in the Visayas region resolved to have
only one request to Malacañang for this year and the
next, and this is the implementation of a “reformed
agrarian-reform program” that responds to the realities
of globalization.
This is
contained in the resolution crafted by business leaders
during the Visayas Area Business Conference (VABC)
hosted by the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce at the
L’ Fisher Hotel here over the weekend.
This
resolution has been forwarded to Philippine Chamber of
Commerce and Industry (PCCI) national president Samie
Lim.
The PCCI
is now collecting the resolutions of its regional
chapters for consolidation into one national resolution
that the group will submit to President Arroyo during
the Philippine Business Conference to be held at the
Manila Hotel in October, which opening she is expected
to attend.
Lim said
they asked the regional chapters to limit their
respective wish lists to one or two advocacies so the
PCCI can submit a maximum of only 10 proposals and lobby
for them with Malacañang. “I asked them to submit what
they think is the most important for their region and
leave the national issues to us.”
In the
resolution crafted at the VABC, the businessmen also
sought a thorough review and assessment by the
congressional oversight committee of the Comprehensive
Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) and its implementation by
the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).
Consequent to this, the businessmen here are asking for
a moratorium on the implementation of contentious
aspects of CARP procedures. They also asked government
to provide the necessary infrastructure and support
services such as financing, irrigation and technology
transfer to ensure the optimum use and productivity of
the redistributed land to uplift the standard of living
of the agrarian-reform beneficiaries (ARBs).
They
also recommended the direct participation and
supervision of the local government units in the
implementation of CARP, including the proper
identification and selection of ARBs, collection of
taxes and amortizations, and maintenance of peace and
order.
The
Visayan businessmen also called for just and speedier
compensation of landowners and the granting of
incentives to agricultural and agribusiness investors.
“And we
move toward a progressive Agrarian Reform Initiative for
the Agricultural Economic Empowerment,” the VABC
resolution said.
The CARP
Law is set to expire next year, and the President has
given indications it would be extended for another 7 to
10 years.
A joint
study conducted by the DAR and the German Technical
Cooperation (GTZ) organization found that more than P100
billion has already been spent for CARP, and from 1987
to 2004, the estimated collectibles from amortization
payments for ARBs was P14.3 billion, although the actual
amount collected was only P2.5 billion or 17.6 percent.
The VABC
resolution noted that the low amortization collection is
due to the inability of the ARBs to pay because they
have not successfully made their lands productive for
lack of support services from government.
However,
the resolution also recognized that the lack of support
from government is itself a result of the low
amortization collection.
The
resolution noted, “This is saddening considering the
demands of globalization on a primarily agricultural
country like the Philippine,” necessitates the
optimization of land use and productivity, as well as
the development and promotion of downstream agribusiness
industries. |
