Land rights alliance demands dialogue with DAR to discuss agrarian reform beneficiaries’ cases, World Bank SPLIT project loan

Media Communications
May 31
3 min read

Quezon City, Philippines — Various groups will hold a public forum on June 1, 2026 and outline the urgency of granting the farmers’ request to the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) for a dialogue, resolving overdue land rights cases of thousands of agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) across the Philippines, among others.

The June 10 Land Rights Committee (June 10 LRC) is comprised of Kilusan para sa Repormang Agraryo at Katarungan Panlipunan (KATARUNGAN), Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ), Pagkakaisa Para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo (PARAGOS) Pilipinas, Pambansang Koalisyon ng Kababaihan sa Kanayunan (PKKK), Alter Trade Foundation, Inc., Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP), Pambansang Kaisahan ng Magbubukid sa Pilipinas (PKMP), Makabayang Alyansa ng Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (Makabayan-Pilipinas), Aniban ng Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (AMA), and Focus on the Global South, as of writing. More groups and formations are expected to join.

June 10 LRC submitted a letter to DAR on May 28, 2026 requesting the said dialogue and forwarded a total of 19 land cases covering around 18,566 hectares of land affecting not less than 7,887 farmers and ARBs.

One of the topics listed for discussion during the requested dialogue is the US$370 million World Bank SPLIT Project loan. Technical details of the project loan include the validation of collective certificates of land ownership awards (CLOAs) and the status of its main components that are expected to improve land tenure security and stabilize the property rights of ARBs. Groups criticize the project’s market-oriented framework for the country’s agricultural lands and the little to no progress in awarding the land to farmers.

Farmers are severely impacted by the compounded negative effects of multiple crises as high fuel prices forced them to forgo crops. According to recent data, the Philippines' annual inflation rate increased from 2.4% in February to over 4% in March, primarily due to significant increases in fuel prices.

QUOTES:

“Tatlong dekada at walong taon na! Mananatiling hungkag ang repormang agraryo at patuloy na mabibigo ang katarungang panlipunan hangga't ang estado ay nilulukob ng mga kapitalista at oligarko.”

– CLARO PASION, Pangulo, Kilusan para sa Repormang Agraryo at Katarungan Panlipunan (KATARUNGAN)

“DAR needs to explain and be held accountable for the thousands of hectares of backlog and reversals. Farmers have been pushing for years so that control, ownership, and management of these awarded lands will finally be theirs; however, resistance from the big land ownership and mediocre government support stand in the way of their rights. On the other hand, the WB SPLIT Project adds to these obstacles rather than facilitating the distribution and awarding of these lands. It is now apparent that these obstacles must be addressed, as we are experiencing the combined impacts of a super El Niño, the energy and economic crises, which will make matters worse for agriculture and our ability to survive the imminent danger of a food and energy supply crisis. Similar to the climate crisis, systemic disparities in farmers' problems need to be addressed immediately. To say that genuine agrarian reform has been a longstanding struggle would be an understatement because it is an outright injustice. ”

– LAICA RAYEL, Food, Land, Water, and Climate (FLWC) Campaign Senior Officer, Philippine Movement for Climate Justice

“Bilang isang katutubong babaeng Subanen, napakahalaga ng lupa sa aming buhay, pagkain, kultura, at kabuhayan. Ito ang pinagmumulan ng aming ikinabubuhay at nagsisilbing pamana para sa susunod na henerasyon. Kaya't mahalagang kilalanin at itaguyod ang repormang agraryo bilang isang karapatan ng kababaihang magsasaka. Ang kababaihan ay may mahalagang papel sa pagsasaka at pag-unlad ng komunidad, kaya nararapat lamang na ang aming karapatan o kanilang karapatan sa lupa ay kilalanin, igalang, at ganap na maipatupad. Ang lupa ay hindi lamang pag-aari ito ay buhay, dignidad, at kinabukasan.”

– REBECCA MARIANO, Pangulo, Pambansang Koalisyon ng Kababaihan sa Kanayunan (PKKK)