It is not enough to just distribute the lands to agrarian reform beneficiaries, it is also important to educate them so they will know how to make use of it properly and make it more productive, Senator Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan, who was in Bacolod City, said Saturday.

Honasan, chairman of the Senate Agrarian Reform Committee, said that basic support services, credit facilities, farm tools and irrigation facilities that the government is providing the ARBs will also help resolve the issues on productivity.

On Friday, Agrarian Reform Secretary Virgilio delos Reyes said that President Benigno Aquino III has approved the allocation of P300 million for loans to ARB groups in Negros Occidental for 2012, to be made available through the Land Bank of the Philippines.

This is on top of support services and other programs being undertaken by the national government to boost productivity and incomes of ARBs in the province, de los Reyes said.

Honasan said the essence of the agrarian reform program is not just dividing and giving out lands to the farmers but also a matter of redistributing the means of production. The country should also embark on modernizing the agricultural sector so we can be abreast with other countries, he said.

He said that Senate Bill 3091 or the proposed Land Use of the Philippines is still being discussed, and once it is enacted into law, it is expected to reduce incidents of land grabbing and harassments in the agricultural sector.

The bill seeks to supervise the zoning ordinances of local governments so we can determine which lands are for agricultural, commercial, industrial, residential, educational, government and recreational centers purposes, the senator said.

As to the issuance of the new executive order on mining, Honasan said it is a welcome development as there is a need to further regulate the industry.

Under EO 79, the government bans mining in protected and tourism areas and holds off the issuance of new permits pending the approval of a new revenue sharing scheme.

Mining is one of the revenue generating businesses in the Philippines and it has provided more employment for the people, but without proper regulation, we might end up sacrificing one of our legacies to our future generation, which is the environment, Honasan said.

He added he is also planning to draft a Senate bill that would boost the sugar industry in Negros as a counterpart of the bill sponsored by Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) in the House.*APN

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