Creation of Support Services Office.
SEC. 35. Creation of Support Services Office.—There is hereby created the Office of Support Services under the DAR to be headed by an Undersecretary.
The Office shall provide general support and coordinative services in the implementation of the program, particulary in carrying out the provisions of the following services to farmer-beneficiaries and affected landowners:
Irrigation facilities, especially second crop or dry season irrigation facilities;
Infrastructure development and public works projects in areas and settlements that come under agrarian reform, and for this purpose, the preparation of the physical development plan of such settlements providing suitable barangay sites, potable water and power resources, irrigation systems and other facilities for a sound agricultural development plan;
Government subsidies for the use of irrigation facilities;
Price support and guarantee for all agricultural produce;
Extending to small landowners, farmers and famers' organizations the necessary credit, like concessional and collateral-free loans, for agro-industrialization based on social collaterals like the guarantees of farmers' organizations:
Promoting, developing and extending financial assistance to small and medium-scale industries in agrarian reform areas;
Assigning sufficient numbers of agricultural extension workers to farmers' organization;
Undertake research, development and dissemination of information on agrarian reform and low-cost and ecologically sound farm inputs and technologies to minimize reliance on expensive and imported agricultural inputs;
Development of cooperative management skills through intensive training;
Assistance in the identification of ready markets for agricultural produce and training in other various aspects of marketing; and
Administration, operation, management and funding of support services programs and projects including pilot projects and models related to agrarian reform as developed by the DAR.
Funding for Support Services.
SEC. 36. Funding for Support Services.—In order to cover the expenses and cost of support services, at least twenty-five percent (25%) of all appropriations for agrarian reform shall be immediately set aside and made available for this purpose. In addition, the DAR shall be authorized to package proposals and receive grants, aid and other forms of financial assistance from any source.
Support Services to the Beneficiaries.
SEC. 37. Support Services to the Beneficiaries.—The PARC shall ensure that support services to farmer-beneficiaries are provided, such as:
Land surveys and titling;
Liberalized terms on credit facilities and production loans;
Extension services by way of planting, cropping, production and post-harvest technology transfer, is well as marketing and management assistance and support to cooperatives and farmers' organizations;
Infrastructure such as access trails, mini-dams, public utilities, marketing and storage facilities; and
Research, production and use of organic fertilizers and other local substances necessary in farming and cultivation.
The PARC shall formulate policies to ensure that support services to farmer-beneficiaries shall be provided at all stages of land reform.
The Bagong Kilusang Kabuhayan sa Kaunlaran (BKKK) Secretariat shall be transferred and attached to the LBP, for its supervision including all its applicable and existing funds, personnel, properties, equipment and records.
Misuse or diversion of the financial and support services herein provided shall result in sanctions against the beneficiary guilty thereof, including the forfeiture of the land transferred to him or lesser sanctions as may be provided by the PARC, without prejudice to criminal prosecution.
Support Services to Landowners.
SEC. 38. Support Services to Landowners.—The PARC with the assistance of such other government agencies and instrumentalities as it may direct, shall provide landowners affected by the CARP and prior agrarian reform programs with the following services:
Investment information, financial and counselling assistance;
Facilities, programs and schemes for the conversion or exchange of bonds issued for payment of the lands acquired with stocks and bonds issued by the National Government, the Central Bank and other government institutions and instrumentalities;
Marketing of LBP bonds, as well as promoting the marketability of said bonds in traditional and non- traditional financial markets and stock exchanges; and
Other services designed to utilize productively the proceeds of the sale of such lands for rural industrialization.
A landowner who invests in rural-based industries shall be entitled to the incentives granted to a registered enterprise engaged in a pioneer or preferred area of investment as provided for in the Omnibus Investment Code of 1987, or to such other incentives as the PARC, the LBP, or other government financial institutions may provide.
The LBP shall redeem a landowner's LBP bonds at face value, provided that the proceeds thereof shall be invested in a BOI-registered company or in any agri-business or agro-industrial enterprise in the region where the landowner has previously made investments, to the extent of thirty percent (30%) of the face value of said LBP bonds, subject to guidelines that shall be issued by the LBP.
Land Consolidation.
SEC. 39. Land Consolidation.—The DAR shall carry out land consolidation projects to promote equal distribution of landholdings, to provide the needed infrastructures in agriculture, and to conserve soil fertility and prevent erosion.
Source: Supreme Court E-Library, Republic of the Philippines. Philippine laws are public documents (works of the government).
