By Pearl Gumapos
The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) will be giving away houses to farmers, DAR Secretary John Castriciones said during a Laging Handa public briefing on Saturday (July 31).
“Nais kong ianunsyo sa ating mga magsasaka na meron talaga tayong programang pabahay para sa ating magsasaka,” Castriciones said when asked about the possible residential lands to be given to farmers.
“Ang tawag dito ay BALAI Magsasaka. Meron na tayong ginagawang mga bahay ngayon sa Pangasinan. By the end of September baka pwede na natin tong ipamigay sa ating magsasaka,” he added.
According to the DAR, the “BALAI Housing Program” or Building Adequate Livable, Affordable and Inclusive Farmers’ Housing Program is a “holistic and comprehensive solution aimed at achieving inclusive growth by means of uplifting the quality of lives of farmers, particularly the agrarian reform beneficiaries, through housing, livelihood, education, and technological innovation.”
Castriciones said that overall, there are now 159 municipalities that have applied for the BALAI program.
Out of the 159 LGUs, 29 have already been approved.
Castriciones said that the DAR aims to finish this program before the Duterte administration ends.
“Marami po tayong matutulungan diyan. Ito po ay makakatulong sa ating magsasaka. Ang magsasaka natin, whether we like it or not, sila ang nagco-consist ng majority of our population, around 60% to 70% of our population is actually involved in agriculture,” he said.
“We have to look after them because most of them belong to the poverty line of our society and if we uplift the economic lives of our farmers, then definitely, it will be the benefit of the society as a whole,” he added. -rir
