THE moratorium on debt payments by agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) first declared via executive order in September 2022 has been extended by two years, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) said.
The extension of the moratorium to Sept. 13, 2025 was announced to coincide with the presentation at the Palace on Monday of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) for the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, or Republic Act No. 11953.
The law is expected to benefit an estimated 129,059 ARBs tilling 158,209.94 hectares of land “whose land awards did not reach the cut off period of July 24, 2023,” the DAR said in a statement.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., in his original moratorium declaration last year via Executive Order No. 4, had frozen ARB amortization and interest payments for one year.
“As we chart a path towards a more self-sufficient and equitable Philippines, this administration reaffirms its commitment to enrich the lives of our farmers, ensure the rapid industrialization of our farmlands and promote sustainable and inclusive growth in the countryside,” the President said at the presentation of the IRR. RA 11953 had been passed by Congress in July 2022.
Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado M. Estrella III has said that condoning the debt of ARBs will cost P57.57 billion and provide relief to over 600,000 beneficiaries tilling 1.17 million hectares.
He said the government will also take over the outstanding obligations of more than 10,000 ARBs tiling agrarian reform land surrendered under the voluntary land transfer and direct payment scheme.
“I call upon the beneficiaries to utilize your land not only to cater to your families but also to the rest of the nation,” Mr. Marcos said. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza
