MANILA — The proposed ₱16.935-billion budget of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) for 2027 will support land distribution, agrarian debt relief, legal assistance and livelihood programs for Filipino farmers, Appropriations Vice Chair and Isabela 3rd District Rep. Ian Paul L. Dy said.

Dy sponsored the DAR budget during the second day of plenary deliberations on the proposed ₱7.2-trillion national budget.

The allocation includes ₱2.24 billion in automatic appropriations and is 6.75 percent lower than DAR’s budget for the current year.

“Agrarian reform is not merely a government administrative program; at its heart, it is an instrument of restorative justice,” Dy said.

“When we secure land ownership, when we lift decades of suffocating debt, when we construct infrastructure to help our farmers, and when we deliver free legal protection, we are not simply funding economic activities; we are investing in human dignity, food security, and rural emancipation under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s vision of a Bagong Pilipinas!”

Dy said DAR has distributed 410,179 land titles covering 556,088 hectares and benefiting 376,738 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) under the Marcos administration from July 2022 through Aug. 12, 2026.

Land title distribution rose from 69,897 titles in 2023 to 102,536 in 2024 and 199,838 in 2025.

From Jan. 1 to Aug. 12 this year, DAR distributed another 16,032 titles covering 23,574 hectares to 14,023 beneficiaries.

The proposed 2027 budget will also support implementation of the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, which provides debt relief to qualified agrarian reform beneficiaries who incurred debts in acquiring agricultural land.

As of Aug. 12, DAR had distributed 703,047 Certificates of Condonation and Release of Mortgage covering 901,246 hectares and wiping out ₱54.702 billion in unpaid principal, interest and surcharges.

According to Dy, “every peso allocated in this budget directly fuels title generation, debt emancipation, legal resolution, and agricultural productivity.”

He said 2027 will be a crucial bridge toward the administration’s goal of completing land distribution under agrarian reform by 2028.

“Let us ensure that our farmers receive the full measure of justice, land security, and economic opportunity they deserve. Sariling Lupa para sa Bagong Bukas na Masagana! Para sa Bagong Pilipinas!”

Beyond land distribution, Dy said DAR is strengthening support services for ARBs and Agrarian Reform Beneficiary Organizations (ARBOs) to help them become productive and sustainable agricultural entrepreneurs capable of competing in domestic and international markets.

The House is examining the DAR allocation with focus on whether government spending reaches farmers and translates land ownership into greater economic opportunity.

Appropriations Committee Chairperson and Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Angela B. Suansing is leading the chamber’s detailed consideration of the proposed ₱7.2-trillion national budget, while Speaker Faustino “Bojie” G. Dy III is pushing for spending that delivers concrete benefits to Filipinos.