Philippines targets 2027 completion of agrarian reform land distribution

The Philippine Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) announced Thursday it is on track to complete its decades-long farm lot distribution program by 2027, with only about 20,000 hectares remaining from the 5.4 million hectares targeted under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform law. Secretary Conrado Estrella III said the agency has "many ways" to distribute land despite potential funding shortfalls, as the budget department allotted funds for 20,000 hectares next year. DAR received P4.1 billion for its land tenure security program in 2027, down from P14.69 billion earmarked for 2026. Land reform remains contentious in the Philippines, where about 47 percent of total land area is agricultural. Advocacy group Task Force Mapalad warned the program is "severely underfunded," noting that removing flawed land records could leave farmers landless.