Agraria n reform is not simply land distribution. Poor farmers, used to the paternalistic ways of
the old system, cannot afford to take the full risk of owning land. They have to be provided with a
comprehensive (as in total) package of support services before access to land can be translated into
productivity and growth, and into food security and freedom from poverty.
Agrarian reform must involve the cooperation and participation of all sectors. Without
involvement by other government line agencies, the civil society, the private sector, LGUs, the
landowners, and the ARBs themselves through their organizations, agrarian reform cannot gain
momentum; it will drag too slowly, and have little significant impact.
Access to land opens growth opportunities for farmer-beneficiaries, but does not necessarily
translate into actual productivity. Beneficiaries must have access to other resources, such as credit,
capital, technology, farm management skills, and marketing information.
Access to land must translate into tangible improvements within a reasonably short period of
time, or else there will be a great risk of so-called "beneficiary defection", in which farmer-beneficiaries
abandon their stake in the land and mortgage or sell it. This could lead to the reconcentration of lands
in the hands of new landowners and eventually in the conversion of these lands to other uses.
Public support is important in strengthening the case for agrarian reform. Legislators are able to
block funding for the CARP because the public is not keen on the issue and does not complain. It would
probably make a lot of difference if the public, perhaps through civil society groups and other influential
social sectors, made itself heard whenever legislators tried to slash the budget for the CARP