Bill condoning loans of agrarian reform beneficiaries approved

The Senate on Monday, March 6, 2023, voted to approve on third and final reading a bill, which seeks to free farmers and agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARB) from the burden of debt.

Senate Bill No. 1850 proposes to condone all principal and interests of loans from the award of agricultural lands under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program as of December 31, 2022.

"Many farmers who were beneficiaries of the agrarian reform program have been waiting for their titles but they have been saddled by issues on how to pay their loans' annual amortization, interests, including penalties and surcharges, which hinder their full ownership over their land. Without land in their name, these farmers cannot access credit as they lack collateral to secure the same," Sen. Cynthia Villar, chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform, and principal sponsor of the bill, said.

Once enacted into law, ?57.5 billion principal debt of more than 610,054 ARBs, tilling a total of 1,173,101.57 hectares of agrarian reform lands would be written off. The principal loan of ?14.5 billion of 263,622 ARBs, tilling 409,206.91 hectares of agrarian reform lands, whose names and other loan details were already submitted by the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) to Congress, would be condoned outright.

The inclusion of the remaining ?43.057 billion loan would take effect only upon submission by the LBP and the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) of details of the indebtedness to government of the 346,432 ARBs, tilling 763,894.66 hectares of agrarian reform lands.

"This bill seeks to help alleviate the plight of ARBs, who are farmers; for them to recover and overcome the fallout of the COVID-19 crisis, the devastating African swine fever, the ongoing avian influenza, the increasing cost of fertilizer, fuel, and other farm inputs, and climate change," Villar said.

Villar added that condoning farmers' amortization "will provide them much-needed financial resources that shall help them develop their farms, increase their productivity, and advance an agriculture-driven economy, improve the lives and that of their families, reduce poverty, accelerate rural development and promote food security."

Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva in co-sponsoring the measure, said the emancipation of agrarian reform beneficiaries from the debt burden is "necessary if we are to seriously address rural poverty and improve the lives of Filipino farmers." He said the passage of the bill shows how the Senate recognizes the urgency of addressing the concerns of the agriculture sector.

"It is our hope that this important measure will help end the cyclical and generational poverty among our ARBs. The condonation of a total of P57.557 billion principal debt of 610,054 ARBs tilling a total of 1.17 million hectares shall emancipate them from debt burden and shall help them refocus their resources and energies instead to increasing their productivity and improving their lives," Villanueva said.

The bill is also co-sponsored and co-authored by Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, Sens. Sonny Angara, Francis Escudero, Imee Marcos, Maria Lourdes Nancy Binay, Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, Joseph Victor Ejercito, Jinggoy Estrada, Manuel Lapid, Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr, Christopher Lawrence Go, and Robinhood Padilla.

Bill sa pag-condone ng utang ng agrarian reform beneficiaries inaprubahan

Inaprubahan ng Senado noong Lunes sa third at final reading ang bill kung saan wala nang babayarang utang ang mga magsasaka at agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARB).

Ipinanukala sa Senate Bill No. 1850 na hindi na kailangang magbayad ng utang at interes ang mga nabigyan sakahang lupa sa ilalim ng Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program noong December 31, 2022.

"Many farmers who were beneficiaries of the agrarian reform program have been waiting for their titles but they have been saddled by issues on how to pay their loans' annual amortization, interests, including penalties and surcharges, which hinder their full ownership over their land. Without land in their name, these farmers cannot access credit as they lack collateral to secure the same," ayon kay Sen. Cynthia Villar, chairperson ng Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform, at principal sponsor ng bill.

Kapag naisabatas, mawawala ang ?57.5 billion principal ng 610,054 ARBs na nagsasaka sa 1,173,101.57 ektarya ng agrarian reform lands.

Mawawala na rin ang principal loan na ?14.5 billion ng 263,622 ARBs na nagsasaka sa 409,206.91 ektarya ng agrarian reform lands.

Naisumite na ng Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) sa Kongreso ang pangalan at iba pang detalye ng utang ng mga ito.

Mapapasama ang natitirang ?43.057 billion utang kapag naisumite ng LBP at Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) ang detalye ng pagkakautang sa pamahalaan ng 346,432 ARBs na sumasaka sa 763,894.66 ektarya ng agrarian reform lands.

"This bill seeks to help alleviate the plight of ARBs, who are farmers; for them to recover and overcome the fallout of the COVID-19 crisis, the devastating African swine fever, the ongoing avian influenza, the increasing cost of fertilizer, fuel, and other farm inputs, and climate change," sabi ni Villar.

Dagdag pa ni Villar, "condoning farmers' amortization will provide them much-needed financial resources that shall help them develop their farms, increase their productivity, and advance an agriculture-driven economy, improve the lives and that of their families, reduce poverty, accelerate rural development and promote food security."

Bilang co-sponsor ng bill, sinabi ni Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva na ang pagpapakawala ng ARBs mula sa kanilang utang ay kailangan kung kailangan nating seryosong tugunan ang rural poverty at mapabuti ang buhay ng Filipino farmers.

"The passage of the bill shows how the Senate recognizes the urgency of addressing the concerns of the agriculture sector," giit ni Villanueva.

"It is our hope that this important measure will help end the cyclical and generational poverty among our ARBs. The condonation of a total of P57.557 billion principal debt of 610,054 ARBs tilling a total of 1.17 million hectares shall emancipate them from debt burden and shall help them refocus their resources and energies instead to increasing their productivity and improving their lives," ayon pa sa senador.

Co-sponsor at co-author din ng bill sina Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, Sens. Sonny Angara, Francis Escudero, Imee Marcos, Maria Lourdes Nancy Binay, Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, Joseph Victor Ejercito, Jinggoy Estrada, Manuel "Lito" Lapid, Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr, Christopher Lawrence Go, at Robinhood Padilla.