Vol. XXI, No. 200 [ Business World Online ]
Tuesday, May 13, 2008 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES
THE AGRARIAN Reform department has ordered the distribution to farmers of a 124-hectare property in San Juan, Batangas by placing it under the government’s agrarian reform program.
In a statement, Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman said he had directed field officials to start distributing the said land to qualified farmers.
"To this time, the property remains agricultural and there are no legal impediments to effect the distribution of the lands to qualified farmer-beneficiaries," he said.
The notice of coverage was issued to real estate firm Hennessy Development Corp. (HDC) by Cynthia E. Lapid, agrarian reform officer of Batangas. The notice was in accordance with a directive issued by Dominador B. Andres, assistant secretary for field operations, Ms. Lapid said. The beneficiaries include members of the Laiya Ibabaw Samahang Magsasaka (Lisamag), said Lani Factor, coordinator of Task Force Mapalad.
In a telephone interview, Ms. Factor said the farmers of San Juan have been fighting for the lot for years. But Ms. Factor lamented the fact that the notice had to be issued only after a riot between affected farmers and Agrarian Reform security on Friday.
Ms. Factor said 35 farmers are qualified for the San Juan property. The land was supposed to have been converted into a resort based on a land conversion order issued in 1998.
But the project did not proceed as scheduled, forcing HDC to seek an extension. That request was denied. — Aizel Joyce A. Catipay
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