By PHOEBE JEN INDINO
DAR says farmers may face sanctions for sale of lands
CEBU CITY — The Region 7 office of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR 7) has warned farmers in Cebu Province against selling farm lands awarded to them by the government under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
Alvin Arante, chief of the legal division of DAR 7 provincial office, said in an interview that he has received reports on the selling of CARP awarded farm lands to people who are not qualified to own them.
Arante said that based on the reports, most of the selling happened in Carcar City and the municipality of San Fernando due to the fact. The reason is that big areas in Carcar and San Fernando are being transformed into residential areas.
He also said that only people who are qualified as per rules of DAR can buy or acquire lands awarded under CARP.
"Most of the agricultural lands that were sold by the farmers are now converted into residential and commercial areas, and this increases the values of these lands," he said.
However Arante said that the sale is possible only after a lapse of five years from its award, and by that time, the land ceases to be agriculturally sound and economically feasible. Another condition is that if the locality becomes urbanized and the land has greater economic value for residential, commercial or industrial purposes.
Meanwhile, he said that once DAR finds out that a farmer had violated the conditions for the award of land under CARP provided for by Republic Act 6657, also known as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law, the farmers may face an administrative or criminal sanctions depending on the degree of the violation.
