THE Department of Agrarian Reform in Negros Island Region (DAR-NIR) has not yet received an official order from the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (Parc) to cancel the stock distribution options (SDOs) in Negros Occidental.
The SDO is a non-land transfer provision of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (Carp).
In its Monday meeting, Parc has approved the cancellation of SDOs involving two large landholdings in the province with a total area of 344 hectares.
These are the 174.31-hectare Wuthrich Hermanos Inc. (WHI) located in Buenavista, Calatrava town, comprising 366 farm worker-beneficiaries; and the SVJ Farms Inc. (SVJFI) with a total area of 170.65 hectares, covering 144 farmer-beneficiaries in Barangay Concepcion, Talisay City.
DAR-NIR Director Stephen Leonidas said Wednesday they are still waiting for the official copy of the Parc decision.
“We have to check the basis of cancellation as soon as we receive the order,” Leonidas said.
The two SDOs are under the jurisdiction of DAR-Negros Occidental North.
Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer (Parpo) Milagros Flores of DAR North said that pending receipt of the official copy of the order, they cannot implement the SDO cancellation.
Flores said that as soon as they receive the implementing guidelines, DAR-Negros Occidental North will immediately furnish it to the respective owners.
“The order will also include the directive to cover the landholdings under land distribution,” she said, adding that “pending the issuance of the order, we presume that other SDOs in the province might also be cancelled.”
DAR records showed there are at least eight other SDOs in both north and south portions of Negros Occidental.
“Many agrarian reform beneficiares in the province would surely be pleased by the cancellation of SDOs which had previously caused them struggles and conflict with land owners,” Flores added.
Under the SDO, the farmers become stock owners, meaning, they are given rights to purchase capital stocks, equities or shares from the corporate landowners and association.
Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano, during his first dialogue with Negrense farmers in Bacolod City last month, presented the two land holdings.
Mariano said the review of the Parc resolution on the WHI SDO stemmed from the petition for cancellation or revocation filed based on various violations, including inexistence of SDO, non-distribution of the shares of stock to identified recipients, and no memorandum of agreement for SDO terms and conditions, among others.
For the SVJFI, the DAR chief cited that the revocation of the SDO plan is based on the grounds like dilution of equity of farmer-beneficiaries, shares equivalent 30.37 percent of the authorized capital stock were given in protracted mode, and non-compliance with its obligations under the agreement.
