Angara increases budget for indigenous peoples, Funds independent study for agrarian reform

Senator Edgardo Angara has increased the budget of the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) [1] and allotted funding for an independent study of the impact of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) to the country's economy.

Senator Angara, chair of the Senate Subcommittee C on Finance that handles the Department of Agrarian Reform budget, has appropriated additional funds to the NCIP's literacy and livelihood activities and IT equipment.

"Our indigenous people may be a minority in terms of number, but we shouldn't treat them as such. It is high time we give them priority, and this should be reflected in our national budget," asserted Senator Angara.

According to Senator Angara, IPs are "keepers of our national culture and heritage, as well as of our rich history."

"As such, programs targeted at keeping them abreast with the modern times while at the same time helping them preserve their unique culture should be promoted. These include activities that provide them livelihood and education," Senator Angara said.

Senator Angara added Php6.5 million to the NCIP budget for the continuation of its literacy activities and livelihood activities for the indigenous peoples.

The senator has also allotted Php5.645 million for capital outlay and Php100,000 for the NCIP's IT equipment.

Independent study

Aside from the an increase in the NCIP budget, Senator Angara has also redirected Php10M budget from the Office of the Secretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform to fund an independent assessment of the impact of the CARP on the country's economy and in poverty alleviation.

To be conducted by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), this study will determine whether or not the CARP will be continued as its term ends by June 2008.

The senator earlier suggested that more support should be given to CARP beneficiaries. According to Senator Angara, "It's not a surprise that CARP beneficiaries have sold off their land or have not made a good living out of the land that was awarded them, because the support given to them is minimal."

"We may claim to have distributed 8,800,000 hectares of land to people, but it's futile if they do not have the capacity to make it sustainable and to make that farm a source of livelihood because of inadequate support," Senator Angara said.

A strong advocate of agriculture for national development, Senator Angara authored the law modernizing Philippine agriculture or the Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA). Senator Angara has also filed a bill that exempts agricultural inputs from Value Added Tax.