In a statement, DAR said “this was the cry of the Department of Agrarian Reform Employees Association of Calabarzon region during their peaceful protest’’ in the DAR Central Office last Monday.The Senate proposed the move supposedly to “rightsize’’ the bureaucracy to save more funds amid the pandemic.
“The DAR is giving agricultural lands to landless farmers. We provide them with support services such as livelihood assistance, agricultural infrastructures, farm machinery, and equipment, among others, and we also empower farming communities and cooperatives to help improve their living conditions. The DAR also offers agrarian legal assistance and quasi-judicial services to farmers that other government agencies do not perform,” it added.
The tarpaulin stated, “We stand as one DAR. No to merging. Department of Agrarian Reform Panatilihin, Palakasin.”