DAR wants land-use conversion stopped

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) is calling for legislation to amend a provision in Republic Act 7160 that allows the conversion of agriculture lands for other purposes, a DAR official said Wednesday.

"Land-use conversion must be stopped in order to provide farmers the land to till and provide food security to the people," DAR Assistant Secretary Elmer Distor said in his remarks during the policy forum on Food and Nutrition Security at the Crowne Plaza in Quezon City.

"Land conversion is the problem which affects food security," Distor emphasized.

Part of the department's legislative proposal is the amendment of RA 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991, particularly Section 20 which allows the reclassification of lands.

Section 20 gives a city or municipality the authority to reclassify agriculture lands under the following conditions:

The land ceases to be economically feasible and sound for agricultural purposes as determined by the Department of Agriculture

The land is deemed to have greater economic value for residential, commercial, or industrial purposes

"The current problem here is that this provision is not monitored by any agency. That's why there is a massive reclassification of lands," Distor noted.

With DAR Secretary Rafael Mariano there will be a moratorium on land-use conversion.

"In other words, the DAR would stop processing applications for land-use conversion, as well as other forms or methods which in effect cause the displacement of farmers and in effect prevent ... food and nutrition security," Distor said. — VDS, GMA News