Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III on Thursday thanked the Senate for approving the Department of Agrarian Reform’s (DAR) proposed P17.4-billion budget for 2026, saying the agency is now closer to achieving its goals.
“The allocation of this budget to the agency’s key programs will further strengthen our efforts to deliver land tenure security, agrarian justice, and essential support services to farmers nationwide,” he said.
According to Estrella, the key budget allocations included the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling Program, valued at P5.1 billion, to expedite the subdivision of collective land titles into individual titles for agrarian reform beneficiaries, and the Land Tenure Security Program, with a budget of P9.5 billion, to continue the distribution of private and public agricultural lands.
Also funded was the Agrarian Justice Delivery Program, valued at P1.4 billion, to expedite the resolution of agrarian cases, including the hiring of additional lawyers.
Additionally, the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Development and Sustainability Program, with a budget of P1.87 billion, was allocated for enterprise development, capacity-building, and training to help agrarian reform beneficiaries enhance their livelihoods.
The DAR chief lauded Senate President Vicente Sotto III, who formally concluded and approved the DAR’s proposed 2026 budget during the Senate budget hearing last November 18.
The deliberations were sponsored by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian.
Estrella said Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri also commended DAR for its “stellar and significant achievements” in 2024.
