Land valuation soon be based on DAR’s report

By JOSE ALSMITH L. SORIA
May 25, 2022

TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Eastern Visayas starts training its personnel for the preparation of a field investigation report (FIR) which serves as basis for the computation of land valuation of private landholdings covered under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

Though there is no approved policy issued yet, Assistant Regional Director for Operations, Renato Badilla, said that DAR wants to be proactive, thus, the Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officers (MARPOs) and the Geodetic Engineers (GEs) are being prepared for their supposed new task this early.

Originally, FIR forms are filled out by a certified appraiser from the Land Bank of the Philippines-Agrarian Operation Center (LBP-AOC) during joint field investigations. But because of this upcoming DAR policy, LBP-AOC Manager Fiel Pedrosa emphasized during last week’s two-day orientation-workshop that preparation of the FIR will now be the DAR’s responsibility, while LBP will focus on the computation of the land valuation.

Pedrosa stressed to the participants, which included the Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officers II (PARPO II), Chiefs of the different Land Tenure Improvement Divisions (LTID) throughout the region, selected MARPOs, GEs and claim folder processors, the accuracy of the entries in the FIR. According to him, “Land Bank’s computation of land valuation will be based on what you have inputted in the FIR.”

Badilla commented on this new development, “The intertwined role of DAR and LBP in the accomplishment of mandated targets for land acquisition and distribution has always been crucial.”

“That role is enhanced in the new policy as newly acquired learnings from this orientation-workshop will enhance the capabilities of DAR field personnel in the successful conduct of the field investigation without the drawback of conflicting schedules as the programming for the schedules are now in-house,” he added.

Meanwhile, MARPO Thelma Alba exclaimed this will be another exhilarating job for the field personnel.