Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 12) — Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrad Estrella III is upbeat on the newly signed Agrarian Emancipation Act, which he said would pave the way for farmers to “improve production.”
He explained that with the law that writes off the loans of farmers, they will have “additional income” which can be reallocated to improve production to lessen importation.
“In the countryside, [the law] matters a lot because [the farmers] can now use this additional income for more advanced farming methods,” Estrella told CNN Philippines’ The Final Word on Tuesday.
“If they modernize, mechanize, especially if they form themselves as a cooperative or even form a corporation, they can definitely and will definitely improve production,” he added.
Estrella also said if cooperatives are formed among farmer groups in rice lands, these clusters could address issues on saving inputs and using modern scientific methods.
“If they do that, there will be greater production and that is going to lead us away from rice shortage. Hence, the lesser need for importation of rice, same with sugar, same with onions and with the others,” he added.
In a briefing last week, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the government will continue to help farmers improve production.
“Free land distribution must go hand in hand with broadening the provision of credit facilities and support services in the form of farm inputs, equipment, and facilities to our farmers as well as the construction of more farm to market roads,” Marcos explained.
The newly signed Agrarian Emancipation Act – dubbed the “Happy Law” – writes off the amortization of principal payments, interests, and penalties of farmers on the lands they are tilling.
The law will benefit 610,054 farmers who owe the Land Bank of the Philippines a total sum of ₱57.56 billion, covering 1,173,101.575 hectares of agrarian reform lands.
