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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
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SENATE 
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Senate Bill No. 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. MANNY VILLAR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) was launched as the 
centerpiece program of the Aquino Administration, which was espoused by Republic 
Act No. 6657 otherwise known as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 
1988. 
Republic Act No. 6657 has originally provided for a ten-year period for the 
land acquisition and distribution component of the CARP. After the said period has 
elapsed in 1998, a ten-year extension was granted by Republic Act No. 8532 up to 
2008. 
It now appears, however, that the total of 20-year period was not adequate to 
finish the land acquisition and distribution component of the CARP. It is being 
pointed out that its implementation was not properly carried out and monitored and 
so the said program's component was not completed. 
But despite this assertion, the land acquisition and distribution component of 
the CARP should not just be abandoned by the present administration since it will 
have a great impact on social justice, poverty alleviation and rural development. 
As such, this bill seeks to extend the acquisition and distribution of all 
agricultural lands in order to complete this priority program component of the CARP. 
It also seeks to sustain the support services to the agrarian reform beneficiaries by 
providing a bigger funding. 
Moreover, it aims to provide for a mechanism to oversee and monitor the 
implementation of this bill when enacted into law through the creation of 
Congressional Oversight Committee on Agrarian Reform (COCAR). Through this, it 
can be assured that there would be a transparent and responsive carrying out of the 
provisions of this legislative measure as it is focused towards the review of its 
program implementation. 
Hence, the approval of this bill is earnestly and immediately sought. 
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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. MANNY VILLAR 
AN ACT 
EXTENDING THE ACQUISITION AND DISTRIBUTION OF 
ALL AGRICULTURAL LANDS AND SUSTAINING THE SUPPORT SERVICES 
TO THE AGRARIAN REFORM BENEFICIARIES UNDER 
THE COMPREHENSIVE AGRARIAN REFORM LAW OF 1988, AS AMENDED, 
AND PROVIDING FOR THE NECESSARY FUNDS 
AND THE MONITORING OF ITS PROPER IMPLEMENTATION 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
Section 1. Extension of the Acquisition and Distribution of All Agricultural 
Lands. - The schedule of acquisition and distribution of all agricultural lands as 
provided under Section 7 of Republic Act No. 6657, otherwise known as the 
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988, as amended, shall be extended for a 
period of five years upon the effectivity of this Act in order to strengthen the 
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). 
Sec. 2. Funding Source. - The amount of One Hundred Billion Pesos 
(PI 00,000,000,000.00) is hereby appropriated for the said land acquisition and 
distribution and for sustaining the support services to the agrarian reform 
beneficiaries as well as the other funding requirements of the CARP. 
Other sources of funding shall include the following: 
a) Proceeds of the sales of the Privatization Management Office (PMO), 
formerly the Assets Privatization Trust (APT); 
b) All receipts from assets recovered and from sales of ill-gotten wealth 
recovered through the Presidential Commission on Good Government 
(PCGG) without prejudice to the amount appropriated for compensation to 
victims of human rights under the applicable law; 
c) Proceeds from the disposition and development of the properties of the 
government in foreign countries, for the specific purpose of financing 
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production credits, infrastructure and other support services as provided 
under Section 37 of Republic Act No. 6657; 
d) All income and collections of whatever kind and nature arising from the 
agrarian reform operations, projects and programs of the Department of 
Agrarian Reform (DAR) and other CARP implementing agencies: 
Provided, That amortization payments shall be allocated as part of the 
funding for support services to the agrarian reform beneficiaries under 
Section 37 of Republic Act No. 6657; 
e) Portion of amounts accruing to the Philippines from all sources of official 
foreign aid grants, debt swaps and concessional financing from all 
countries, and other forms of financing arrangements, negotiated by the 
Philippine government with other countries and financial institutions to be 
used for the specific purpose of financing production credits, infrastructure 
and other support services as provided under Section 37 of Republic Act 
No. 6657; 
f) Yearly 
appropriations 
of 
not 
less 
than 
Five 
Billion 
Pesos 
(P5,000,000,000.00) from the General Appropriations Act; and 
g) Other government funds not otherwise appropriated. 
Sec. 3. Funding for Suppott Services. - In order to cover the expenses and 
cost of support services, at least forty percent (40%) of all appropriations for 
agrarian reform shall be immediately set aside and made available to cover the 
expenditure and cost of support services to all stakeholders of the CARP: Provided, 
That for the five (5) years extension period, a minimum of three (3) agrarian reform 
communities shall be established by the DAR per year in coordination with the local 
government units, non-government organizations and people's organizations in 
each legislative district with a predominant agricultural population: Provided, further, 
That the areas in which the agrarian reform communities are to be established shall 
have been fully subjected under Republic Act No. 6657. 
Sec. 4. Congressional Oversight Committee on Agrarian Reform. - The 
Congressional Oversight Committee on Agrarian Reform (COCAR) is hereby 
created to oversee and monitor the implementation of this Act and to review its 
program implementation. It shall be chaired by the Chairperson of the Senate 
Committee on Agrarian Reform and co-chaired by the Chairperson of the 
Committee on Agrarian Reform of the House of Representatives, with four (4) 
members from the Senate and four (4) members from the House of Representatives 
to be respectively designated by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the 
House of Representatives, who shall endeavor to have the various land and 
agrarian reform sectors and regions of the country represented. 
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In order to carry out the objectives of this Act, the COCAR shall be provided 
with the necessary appropriations for its operation. The members of the COCAR 
shall receive no compensation: however, traveling and other necessary expenses 
shall be allowed. 
Sec. 5. Powers and Funcfions of the COCAR. - The COCAR shall have the 
following powers and functions: 
a) Prescribe and adopt guidelines which shall govern its work; 
b) Hold hearings and consultations, receive testimonies and reports pertinent 
to its specified concerns; 
c) Secure from any department, bureau, office or instrumentality of the 
Government such assistance as may be needed, including technical 
information, preparation, and production of reports and submission of 
recommendations or plans as it may require, particularly a yearly report of 
the record or performance of each agrarian reform beneficiaries as 
provided under Section 22 of Republic Act No. 6657; 
d) Secure from the DAR or the LBP actual information on the amount of just 
compensation determined to be paid or which has been paid to any 
landowner; 
e) Oversee and monitor, in such a manner as it may deem necessary, the 
actual implementation of the program and projects by the DAR; 
f) Summon by subpoena any public or private citizen to testify before it, or 
require by subpoena duces tecum to produce before it such records, 
reports or other documents as may be necessary in the performance of its 
functions; 
g) Submit periodic reports on its findings and make recommendations on 
actions to be taken by Congress and the Presidential Agrarian Reform 
Council (PARC); 
h) Engage the services of resource persons from the public and private 
sectors as well as from the civil society as may be needed; 
i) Approve the budget for the work of the COCAR and all disbursements 
therefrom, including compensation of all personnel; 
j) Organize its staff and hire and appoint such employees and personnel 
whether temporary, contractual or on consultancy, subject to applicable 
rules; and 
k) Exercise all the powers necessary to attain the purposes of this Act for 
which it is created. 
Sec. 6. Annual Report. - The DAR s,hall submit to the Senate and the House 
of Representatives a detailed progress annual report on the implementation of the 
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CARP within thirty (30) days following the end of each fiscal year during the five- 
year extension period referred to under Section 1 of this Act. 
Sec. 7. lmplemenfing Rules and Regulations. - The Secretary of the DAR, in 
coordination with the other concerned government agencies and bureaus, shall 
promulgate the implementing rules and regulations of this Act within sixty (60) days 
upon the effectivity of this Act. 
Sec. 8. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations 
or part thereof that are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby 
repealed or modified accordingly. 
Sec. 9. Separabilify Clause. - If for any reason, any section or provision of 
this Act is declared unconstitutional or null and void, other sections not affected shall 
remain in full force and in effect. 
Sec. 10. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after 
its complete publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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