Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Conrado Estrella III unveiled six new directives aimed at strengthening the agency’s operations during the Luzon Batch Competency Development and Advancement Program held from 14 to 18 January at the Sequoia Hotel in Quezon City.

These directives include accelerating digital transformation, fostering collaboration with partner agencies, empowering grassroots leaders, emphasizing a bottom-up approach, driving key outputs from field offices, and cultivating a supportive management team.

Estrella, addressing the 289 Chief Agrarian Reform Program Officers and Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officers in attendance, also urged the agency’s frontliners to help explain to the public the circumstances surrounding the allocation of the 2025 national budget.

“I feel saddened seeing our beloved President working tirelessly, visiting the agrarian reform communities. He is bringing the government closer to the people. The government operates under a system of checks and balances involving the executive, the legislative, and the judiciary,” Estrella stated.

The program provided an opportunity to enhance skills, update officers on recent directives, and assess their performance in implementing Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program initiatives.

Meanwhile, Undersecretary for the Field Operations Office Atty. Kazel Celeste highlighted the importance of addressing challenges in the Land Acquisition and Distribution process.

She also shared the outcomes of the DAR’s National Assessment from 29 July to 2 August 2 2024, focusing on programs such as the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling and strategies to manage land acquisition, distribution, and CCLOA parcelization.

“DAR remains committed to advancing agrarian reform, addressing challenges posed by the 2025 national budget, and ensuring that programs continue to benefit Filipino farmers,” Celeste concluded.