DAR releases guidelines on the issuance of ARB IDs during ECQ

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) released Memorandum Circular No 4 last Thursday, April 2, 2020 to serve as guidelines on the issuance of Identification Cards (IDs) to agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in response to the current national health emergency measures arising from Coronavirus Disease 2019 or COVID-19.

It will be recalled that Congress passed on March 23, 2020 Republic Act No. 11469, entitled “An Act Declaring the Existence of a National Emergency Arising from the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID -19) Situation and a National Policy in Connection Therewith, and Authorizing the President of the Republic of the Philippines for a Limited Period and Subject to Restrictions to Exercise Powers Necessary and Proper to Carry Out the Declared National Policy and for Other Purposes,” or otherwise known as the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act.

DAR Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Office (LAO) Atty. Luis Meinrado C. Pañgulayan said “The ARB IDs will be issued for the purpose of facilitating the access of the ARBs on the various government assistance, especially during the strict implementation of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).”

Included among the assistance being eyed to be facilitated by the DAR in favor of the ARBs is the Emergency Subsidy Program (ESP), which is a social amelioration program to provide cash or non-cash subsidy to eighteen (18) million household beneficiaries. This program is being implemented under the Joint Memorandum Circular No. 1 Series of 2020 signed between and among the Departments of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Labor and Employment (DOLE), Trade and Industry (DTI), Agriculture (DA), Finance (DOF), Budget and Management (DBM), and Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Included also is the Emergency Support Services Program to be implemented by the DAR-Support Services Office (SSO) that will benefit the ARBs, agrarian reform beneficiaries’ cooperatives (ARBOs) and agrarian reform communities (ARCs) at the field levels by conducting activities to ensure food security, economic empowerment and promotion of ARBs’ rights.

Another is the Programs which provide benefits and services being offered by the Local Government Units (LGUs), National Government Agencies, Government Owned and Controlled Corporations, Bureaus, and other instrumentalities of the government, as well as in all Government Hospitals and other public medical facilities.

And last is the Programs from either the public or the private sectors which provide other support services to ARBs, ARBOs, ARCs and agrarian reform cooperatives on health, credit accessibility, education, housing, and other related necessities.

“The ARBs, who belong to the marginalized sectors of the society, are badly affected by the strict implementation of the government community quarantine, not only in the entire island of Luzon, but also in the other regions of the country due to the danger of pandemic COVID-19, which is rapidly transmitted from human to human and has already claimed thousands of lives, “ he said.

Pañgulayan said the ARB ID will contain a control number based on the ARB’s title number and affixed with the official dry seal of the DAR, electronic signatures of the Secretary and the Regional Directors and countersigned by the Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer.

“The Memorandum Circular cover all ARBs who have been issued with registered Emancipation Patents (EPs), individual or collective Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOAs), other titles issued under any agrarian reform program, and holders of Registered Leasehold Contracts”, he said.

Pañgulayan estimated that 352,511 ARBs will be covered by the ARB ID, who were given CLOAs from Calendar Year 2010 to 2020.

“The ARB IDs to be issued under this Memorandum Circular shall be valid until 31 December 2020 unless sooner revoked or extended by the Secretary upon the recommendation of the Regional Director,” he said.

Pañgulayan emphasized that the Regional Office in coordination with the DAR Management Information Systems Service (MISS) will generate a masterlist of ARBs, and to expedite this process, the DAR Provincial Office (DARPO) may require the assistance of the DAR Municipal Office (DARMO) and supervise by the DARPO in the generation and issuance of IDs to individual ARBs.

He added that the DARPO, upon receipt of the masterlist from the Regional Office and upon comparison with the record on file shall generate the corresponding ARB IDs with control numbers and dry seal and issue the IDs to the individual ARBs, through the DARMO.

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