(Eagle News)—President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday, Feb. 20, signed an order directing the government to identify agricultural lands owned by the state and distribute these to qualified beneficiaries.
In Executive Order 75, Duterte ordered “all departments, bureaus, offices and instrumentalities of the government” to do this within 30 days from effectivity of the order.
According to the order, the Department of Agrarian Reform shall then “cause the preparation of an inventory” of the lands “devoted to” or “suitable for” agriculture, and, together with the Department of Justice, shall formulate the implementing rules and regulations “regarding the validation, segregation, transfer and distribution of government-owned lands…including the criteria for the validation of such lands, identification of qualified beneficiaries, and mechanisms and procedures in case of related protests or appeals.”
“The order shall take effect 15 days after its publication in the official gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation,” the order said.
Since he assumed office, President Duterte has been pushing for agrarian reform, which he said was an issue being used by communist rebels, and the distribution of idle government lands to beneficiaries.
