Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay, March 28 (PIA) -- The Provincial Agrarian Reform Coordinating Committee (PARCCOM) of Zamboanga Sibugay will hold an election of its members on April 12, 2012, nomination of its chairperson will be appointed by the president of the Philippines.
Section 44 of RA 6657, otherwise known as the “Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988", as amended by RA 7905, created the PARCCOM to coordinate and monitor the implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) at the provincial level. It further mandates the PARCCOM to provide information about Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC) guidelines on CARP and the progress of its implementation.
The PARCCOM is composed of thirteen (13) members as follows: Chairperson, Ex-Officio members - the Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer (PARO), Provincial Agriculture Officer (PAO)/Provincial Agriculturist (PA), Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO), Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) representative, and its elected members from the Private Sector Representatives (PSRs) namely: the Farmers' Organization, Agricultural Cooperatives, Non-Government Organizations, Landowners (Principal Crop), Landowners' (Other Crop/s), Farmers/Farmworkers' (Principal Crop), Farmers/Farmworkers' (Other Crop/s), and Cultural Community representative.
In order to materialize the said nomination and election, the Department of Agrarian Reform Provincial Office of Zamboanga Sibugay is working hard in its preparation, highlighted by a series of activities such as: Community Assemblies/Meetings which was held on March 19-23, 2012, nomination and filing of Certificate of Candidacy from March 28-April 1, 2012, orientation of all qualified candidates / nominated representative to be held on April 12, 2012 in the morning, election of PARCCOM members on April 12, 2012 in the afternoon, and the oath taking of new PARCCOM members on May 10, 2012.
Under the PARC Executive Committee, Administrative Order No. 01-97 entitled "New Implementing Guidelines Strengthening the Formation,
Organization and Operation of the Provincial Agrarian Reform Coordinating
Committee (PARCCOM)", applicants/nominees for the chairperson shall be interviewed and rated by an Evaluation Committee in the province and prioritized accordingly.
Committee (PARCCOM)", applicants/nominees for the chairperson shall be interviewed and rated by an Evaluation Committee in the province and prioritized accordingly.
The Committee shall be assisted by the PARCCOM Secretariat in the screening and evaluation of nominees for chairperson. Each shall be recommended by the PARO and endorsed by the DAR Regional Director concerned to the PARC ExCom. The PARC ExCom Screening Committee shall evaluate each applicant/nominee based on the personal data sheet and other information submitted to and processed by the PARC Secretariat.
The PARC ExCom through its Chairman shall then endorse three (3) duly ranked applicant/nominees to Malacañang for appointment. Though the President normally appoints the highest ranking/priority nominee, in some instances, he may choose to appoint another from the nominees endorsed by the PARC ExCom.
As for the nomination and election of the members, the same administrative order provides that there shall be one nominee from each accredited organization of the following sectors namely: Farmers' Organizations, Agricultural/Agrarian Reform Cooperatives, NGOs and Indigenous Cultural Communities in the province, if any. The nominees of the accredited organizations shall elect from among themselves their respective representative, to the PARCCOM. For purposes of nomination, a nominee who is nominated by two or more sectors shall be required by the PARO to choose in which sector he/she shall be nominated.
Moreover, it also says that there shall be two (2) representatives each of Landowners and Farmer and Farmworker beneficiaries, one of whom shall be a Landowner or Farmer/Farmworker representing the principal crop of the province where each group (i.e., Landowners, Farmer and Farmworker Beneficiaries) shall elect from among themselves two (2) representatives.
Once in the office, the appointed chairperson of PARCCOM shall serve for a term of three (3) years at the pleasure of the President of the Philippines who may reappoint the incumbent for another term of three (3) years, while the elected members/PSRs shall serve for a term of three (3) years and maybe re-elected for another term of three (3) years
The DARPO of Zamboanga Sibugay launched a province-wide information campaign, to reach as wider as possible the potential nominees/sectors for the Chairperson and for the elected members. DARPO Sibugay encouraged all involved sectors to take active part in the said event and don’t hesitate to approach the DAR provincial office for inquiries. Publication in the newspapers, public announcements on the radio programs and posting at the municipal agrarian reform offices of the general criteria/qualifications and documentary requirements for the aspirants and the schedule of activities of the said event were also made to inform the public of the important information regarding the PARCCOM nomination and election. (DAR-ZamboSibugay/PIA9/CAL)