Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. (File photo)
DAVAO CITY — Presidential aspirant Rodrigo Duterte said he is not keen on extending the coverage of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988.
In an emailed statement, Duterte said the CARL, or the Republic Act 6657, “failed because the government did not provide support services to the beneficiaries.”
The law was met with criticism from farmers who believe that the government’s land reform program has only favored big landlords and agri-businesses.
Instead of the CARP Law, Duterte said he would rather relax and liberalize credit and financing facilities for small farmers to be able to contribute to national productivity.
On Wednesday, February 17 Duterte campaigned in Bacolod City where he also promised that he will revive and subsidize the Philippine sugar industry.
Bacolod is the capital of Negros Occidental, known as the ‘sugar bowl’ of the Philippines being the country’s leading producer of sugar.
The National Statistical Coordinating Board said sugar remains to be the main product of the province with about 56 percent of its total land area of 7,926 square kilometers planted to sugarcane.
Annually, the agency said, the province is producing 800,000 metric tons of raw sugar.
Ironically, the Philippines is expected to resume sugar importation this year. The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) said the Philippines is committed to import 135,508 tons of raw sugar in 2016.
Duterte said the importation will not be necessary if the local production is strengthened and the local farmers are given the needed government interventions.
“We can improve this production as we are hopeful that through the government’s intervention under my administration, we will revive the glory of the sugar industry of the province,” said Duterte.
As of 2011, the Philippine Exporters Confederation said the total land area planted to sugarcane in the Philippines reached 383,000 hectares. (davaotoday.com)
