Initially, there was indeed increased economic activity in the rice and corn provinces, where P.D. 27 was enforced. However, as the program was being implemented through several years, it turned out that for some reason, it did not succeed in making our country self-sufficient in either rice or corn. On the contrary, except for one year during the Marcos regime, our country continued to import rice and corn. Presently, with the continuing population explosion, the importation of said commodities have expanded exponentially. In short, in so far as P.D. 27 is concerned, it has miserably failed to produce self-sufficiency. Many, if not most of the beneficiaries of the program of "land distribution to the tiller,’’ have already sold out their farms. Now, there is a kind of reconsolidation of land holdings, either for agricultural, commercial, industrial, or residential purposes. It turned out that many of the agrarian reform beneficiaries, either sold, leased, or mortgaged and lost their land holdings, in order to buy pedicabs, jeepneys, improve their houses, or simply spent the proceeds.

Another reason why there seemed to be prosperity in the rural areas at the beginning, was the pump-priming activities of several government cooperatives, agencies, including the Philippine National Bank. All that a rural resident had to do, in order to be entitled to a Masagana 99 loan, was to sign on the dotted line of the loan application. Now, collection of course was a different matter. Billions of pesos of rural credit that was lent cannot be accounted for or recovered, and is considered lost.

Years ago, I too hoped and believed then that with Martial Law in place, for once, we could have a successful rural program to spur rural progress and development, and reduce poverty in the countryside. Modesty aside for the said reason, and indeed to fulfill my Christian social and moral responsibilities, as taught to me by my parents, the teachings of the Church and my priest professors at the Catholic University where I studied; I volunteered in 1972, to "turn over, sell to government,’’ the 316 hectares that I inherited from my parents, in Barangay Inalad, Calubian, Leyte, even if the lands were not subject to land reform. For said farmland, I received the "fabulous’’ amount of R1.2 million in bonds, most of which I received during Mrs. Aquino’s tenure of office.

Today, our population is estimated at around 85 million, more or less, in two decades it will be about 120 million or more. The land reform program has been overtaken by the exploding population. If before there was not enough land to go around, how much more today. One can imagine the People’s Republic of China, trying to give away land to its 1.3 billion people, instead of implementing its present successful program of full industrialization, to become a developed economy. If the government and some politicians think that CARP should be continued because it will give them votes, I say they were grossly mistaken. Distributing micro farms is a sure formula for disaster, because the program will ensure the poverty of more people.

Instead, the limited resources of government should be re-channeled to the needed infrastructure, to include education, increase industrial, as well as service enterprises, and small and medium businesses. It will therefore be to our advantage, to close the CARP land expropriation program. Instead, shift most of the money to where it will expedite employment generation, and reduce poverty. The said program should include lands already acquired under CARP.

A reality check, whether CARL/CARP has succeeded or failed is not needed because it is so apparent that the program has failed. However, it will take political will to shift our efforts and resources. Will our politicians have the guts to do it? Only time will tell.