The senators are returning the P2.5 billion cut by the House from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) budget proposal.
In plenary debates, Senator Cynthia Villar, defending the DAR budget, said the cut funding for agrarian reform beneficiaries included in the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) project is essential.
“It is unfortunate that the House of Representatives, in their general appropriations bill, sought the cut by P2.599 billion from the SPLIT project. I’m asking the support of the Senate in ensuring that the government be able to deliver what rightfully belongs to our agrarian reform beneficiaries, land that truly belongs to them, by reinstating the budget cut made by the House of Representatives,” said Villar.
The SPLIT project is important for land security tenure.
“Ito po ‘yung magbe-break nu‘ng collective (certificate of land ownership awards) into individual CLOA para malalaman nu‘ng ating mga farmer kung ano ‘yung lupa nila,” Villar added.
DAR’s SPLIT project will also be implemented using a loan from the World Bank so it cannot be used with others or realign the funds allocated to it.
She said P19.24 billion would come from the World Bank while the government will allocate P5.38 billion.
“It cannot be used for any other purpose except that because that is the loan from the World Bank, so by not using it, we have to pay a commitment fee of around P11 million for not using it.So, I think they did not understand this, they thought they could transfer it for some other purpose,” said Villar.
Senate wants DAR’s budget on land titling program returned
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon agreed.
“I join the good sponsor in appealing to the chamber to restore this amount because this is sourced from borrowings and if we don’t use it, we will have to pay a commitment fee of P11 million and also I assume the interest will start to run. So there is really no rationale for reducing this budget arising from the World Bank loan,” said Drilon.
Villar could not determine where the funds were transferred. But Senator Panfilo Lacson is suspicious of where the funds were transferred.
“This is not conclusive yet, there’s an increase in the farm to market road budget in the DA in the amount of P1.97 billion from P4.98 billion in the NEP to P6.9 billion in the GAB the House version. So, mayroong missing talaga, more or less that amount. So it’s important that we find it because we are with you in restoring that budget.Sabi niyo nga, hindi pwedeng galawin, magbabayad tayo ng commitment fee for nothing cause we can not use it for any other purpose,” said Lacson.
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