[ manilastandardtoday.com ] May 3, 2008
The Congressional Oversight Committee on Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization has commissioned three prestigious institutions to conduct a comprehensive assessment and review of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program which will expire in June 2008.
“The committee believes that the three independent study groups could help Congress in debates on whether or not to extend the CARP,” Senator Edgardo Angara, who chairs both the Senate committee on agriculture and the COCAFM, said.
“Should we decide to extend the program again, we’ve got to have empirical basis for it. I have no contention with agrarian reform. Land ownership is crucial to enhancing the productivity of our farmers. But how will land ownership be effective in doing this? That’s why we should re-examine how agrarian reform in the country is implemented,” he said.
Angara reported that the three study groups are the University of Asia and the Pacific Center for Food and Agribusiness, the University of the Philippines in Los Baños Foundation Inc., and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture.
“They have done some studies on agrarian reform in the past. I think they seem to be knowledgeable, and the advantage of having three entities to do separate and independent studies is that we will get many perspectives and insights which would be added to our debate,” the senator said.
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