PROs AND CONs OF AGRARIAN REFORM

The agrarian reform program's main thrust is to remedy the old feudal system of land ownership and inequitable land distribution. Having this main objective, the agrarian reform is good not only in terms of economic productivity but also in alleviating the problem of social injustice. If implemented properly, farmers who worked hard for their landlord's property will be rewarded for their own perseverance. Moreover, farmer's moral will go up because they can fully savor the fruit of their labor. Consequently, this will lead to higher productivity.

In the Philippines, CARP is the tool to implement this agrarian reform. Reading the guidelines and policy of this program, this promotes the betterment of the farmers who were abused by their landlords and were deprived to own the land that was rightfully theirs.

The Department of Agrarian Reform has the task of implementing this program. In the term where Secretary Ernesto Garilao sat as its department head, 50% of the required distributed land where given to deserving farmers.

On the other hand, the cons of this program were more than what it can offer. First, the CARP is a defective law devoid of unclear policies on land valuations and transfers. There was no clear-cut policies regarding the transfer of certificate of titles of the distributed lands. Moreover, expediencies on acquiring lands from the landlords were not explained well which makes this procedure difficult to implement.

Second, DAR has changed secretaries often which made it difficult for the success of the program. For every president elected, cabinet secretaries were replaced more than once which makes it hard for the present secretary to conduct a continuous plan for agrarian reforms. Moreover, this event leads to the interruption of the current administration's momentum of doing such projects.

Third, there is a slow implementation of this program due to two main reasons. One is that since our country has a democratic system of government, everyone is entitled to undergo due process. A farmer who has a complaint against his or her landlord must go to the court and process the necessary papers and then wait for the court's decision. The landlord if he or she has a complaint must take the same procedures. However, in Philippine society, due to the power and influence of these landlords, most of the decision side with them and causes injustice to the farmers who deserve to have justice. The other cause of the slow implementation is the landlord's resistance, which threatened the lives of local DAR workers and farmers.

Fourth, this program is prone to corruption since the people involve have wealth and power with them. Naturally, every rule will be disregarded once money and politics are involved. This also makes DAR officials to side with the landowners rather than promoting the rights of the farmers and tenants.

Fifth, there is no policy in this program where it gives some of the government agencies to the aid in implementing the program. There is no means of coordinating these organizations.

Sixth, in the context of Philippine government and politics, CARP is too idealistic. Without having any checking mechanisms for its enforcers, this is bound to fail. Maybe if graft, corruption and greed does not exist here in our country, this is a good program that our country can use to promote the growth of our economy.