REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES é DEPARTMENT OF AGRARIAN REFORM wf MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR No. . SERIES OF 2023, Subject: CREATION OF NATIONWIDE CONDONATION RESPONSE AND ACTION DESK Profatory Statement Section 6,‘ Chapiar 2, Book IV of E.0. No. 292 and Section 7? of E.0. No. 129-A bestowed upon the Secretary of the DAR the authority anc responsibilty to exercise the mandate of the Depariment and discharge its powers end functions and conferred upon him supervision ard control of the Department. Likewise, Section 7, Chapter 2, Book IV of Executive Order No. 292, in line with Section 5 of Executive Order No. 129-A and Section 49 of Republic Act No. $657, 3s amended provides that the Secretary shall establish the policies and slanciards for the operation of the Deoartment pursuant to the approved programs of the government. Meanwhile, Republic Act ("R.A.") No, 11883,9 or the "New Agrarian Emenci Act,” whieh was ‘Snacted on July 7, 2023, has come into effect on July 24, 2023. R.A. No. 11853 condones a total of « 67.587 BIMGA oF principal debt, inclusive of interests, penattios, end surcharges, of 610,064 Agrarian Reform Seneficiaries (‘ARBs") who are tilling 1,173,101.57 hectares of Agrarian Reform Lands ("ARLs"). The names and other ican deizils amounting to 214.5 Billion of the said principal debi of a total of 263,622 ARBs covering 408,205.91 hectares of ARLs were alrsacy submitted by the Land Bank of the Philippines (‘LBP"} fo the Congress, resulting in the outright condonation of the 14.5 Billion of principal debis, inclusive of interesis, penalties, and surcherges. On September 6, 2023, the implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of R.A. No. 11953 was signéd, which mendates the immediate enforcement of R.A. No. 11883 and its completion within < three (3) years from its effectivity. Thus, the Office of the President, through Executive Secretary “AT. Lucas P. Bersemin, issued Presidential Directive No. PEBM-2023.644, enttlec, “Smooth an Immediate Execution of the implementing Rule and Regulalions (IRR) cf the New Agrarian Emancipation Aci (NAEA)," directing ths Secretary of the DAR to pursue tne smooth and effective implementation of the IRR of R.A. No. 11953. In fesponse io the mandate of R.A. No. 11953, its IRR, and the aforesaid Presidential Directive, there is a need to develop and establish an efficient and effective implementation, and continuous Monitoring, of the IRR. Accordingly, a Gondonation Response and Action Desk is hereby created -, with the mandate fo expedite the condonetion process, collate all the names and other loan details of the ARBs and to serve as one-stop-shop for the seid ARBs where personnel from the DAR ‘Municipal, Provincial, Regional, and Central Office will make available to the ARBs the necessary _| {Section 6 [Chapter 2, Book IV, of Executive Order No. 292]. Authority and Responsibilly of the Secretary. — ‘The authority and responsibilty for the exercise of the manda of the Deparment end for the discharge of iS Powers and functions shall be vested in the Secretary, who shall have supervision and control of the Department, ? instituting the Administrative Code of 1987, 8 Supra, note 1 * Amended by Republic Act No. 9700. An Act sirengthtening the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Pragrem (CARP), extending the acquisition and distribution of all agricultural lands, instiuting necessary reforms, ‘amending for the purpose cereain provisions of Republic Act No. 6857, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988, 2s amended, and approprieting funds therefor, [Republic Act No. 9700], August 7, 2009. * An Act Emancipating Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries from Financial Burden by Condcning All Principal Loans, Unpaid Amortizations and Interests anc Exempting Payment of Estate Tax on Agricultural Lands Awarded under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform ®rogram (New Agrarian Emancipation Act} Republic Act No. 11983, July 7, 2023. DAR GENTRAL OFFICE TELEFA (682) 485.9008information and assistance regerding any query, comment, proposition, the implementation of the IRR. id ideas thet may arise in Section +. Condonation Response and Action Desk. A Condonation Response and Action Desk is hereby established under the Offics of the Secretary of tne DAR, which chall serve as @ command center with the aim to expedite the condonation process and ansure the smooth and effective execution of the IRR of R.A. No, 11953, A National Condonation Response anc Action Desk Conimand Center, which shall be headed by the Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Office ("LAO"), is hereby constituted. tf shall have control and supervision over all Condonation Response and Action Desk Command Centers that shall IIkewise herein be constituted at the DAR Regional, Provincial, and Municipal Offices. The existing DAR Public Assistance and information Center, or "PAIC,” at the DAR Central Office and the DAR Quick Response Operations systems, or “QROs,” whose present composition shall be maintained unless otherwise sooner reconstituted in 2 Special Order to be issued for that purpose, shal! similarly be under the supervision and control of the National Condonation Response and Action Desk Command Center. All Condonetion Response and Action Desk Command Centers that are all herin established shall facilitate, record, and assist in the early resolution of all issues and concerns coming from the ARBs, paving the way for the smooth, effective execution and close monitoring of the IRR of A. No. 11953. Section 2. Administration of the Condonation Response and Action Desk Command Genter. The Secretary of the DAR, or his designated Official, shall have control and management over the National Condonation Response and Action Desk Command Center and over all Regional, Provincial, and Municipal Condonation Response and Action Desk Command Center, which shall be headed by their concemed Regional Director, Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer (PARPO") Ii, and Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer (MARPO"), respectively, Section 3, Organizational Structure. All Condonation Response and Action Desk Command ‘enters shall be under the control and supervision of the Secretary of the DAR, or his designated Official. The National, Regional, Provincial, and !vlunicival Condonation Response and Action Desk ‘Command Centers are hereby constituted, as follows’ Office of the Secretary (OSEC) 7 ‘gal Affairs Office (LAO?) Chairman [= Undersecretary, Members |<” Undersecretary, Fisid Operations Office (FOO') | + Undersecretary. Special Concerns Office ("SCO") and External Affairs and Communications Operations Office {"EAGOO") | ~ Undersecretary, Foreign Assisted and Special Projects Office (‘FASPO") | = Undersecretary, Office for Mindanao Affairs ("OMA | | > Undersecretary, Policy, Planning and Research Office (PPRO") | = Assistant Secretary, FASPO. Gondonation Response and Action Desk Command Centor [Read ~~ Regional Director | Members ~~ Assistant Regional Director(s) + All Regionat Division Chiefs = Regional RO Provincial Condonation Response and Action Desk Gommand Center Head = PARPOT Members = PARPOT = All Provincial Division Chiefs | + Provincial GRO Municipal Condonation Response and Action Desk Command Centar Head > MARPO[Members - Senior Agrarian Reform Program Technologist ("SARPT") | > Reraron Retiro Sennacget Cake npr 2 genes oar The input, reports, and resolution regarding any and all concerns of the ARBs accounted by all the field Condonation Response and Action Desk Command Centers fo the National Condonation Response and Action Desk Command Center shail be the basis of the monthly report ig be submitted by the Secretary of the DAR to the Office of the President, through the Executive Secretary, of the effective and smooth implementation of the IRR of R.A. No. 11953. Section 4, Duties and Responsthilidies. The National, Regional, Provincial, and Municipai Condonation Response and Action Desk Commend Centers shall provide frontline and ready service 4 assistance to all ARBs by receiving, documenting, and assessing the information, queries, Gommenis, suagestions, propositions, and ether relevant deta and responses emanating from | affected stakeholders and the ARBs in the DAR Field Offices, the Municipal Condonation Response and Action Desk Command Center, or in its absence, the Provincia! Condonation Response and Action Desk Command Center, shall collect and receive ait information and relevant data from the ARBs and other stakeholders, and shalt make @ monthly report thereof to the Regional Condonation Response and Action Desk Command Cenier. Sinilarly, the Regional Condonation Response and Action Desk Command Center shall collate all the said information and data collected irom the Provincial Condonation Response and Action Desk Commanc Center and make a monthly report thereof to the National Condonation Response and Action Desk Command Center The National Condonation Response anid Action Desk Command Center shall closely monitor the report and other relevent data submitted to it by the Regional Condonation Response and Action Desk Commend Center and shall make 2 monthiy account thereof to the Secretary of the DAR, who shail likewise submit his monthly repor? on the operations and accomplishments of the Condonation Response and Action Desk to the President. Section 5. Funding. The expenses to be incurred from the operations of aii Condonation Response and Action Desk Command Center in implementing this Memorandum Circulsr shall be charged against the appropriate funding sources under the Office of the Secretary of the DAR. In the event that the funding at the DAR Regional and Provincial Offices is insufficient, the budget therefor shai! be augmented by the Office of the Secretary, upon submission of a supplemental budget request from the concerned DAR Regional and Provincial Offices, end subject to pertinent budgeting, 2ccounting, and auditing rules and regulations. Section 6. Separabitity. If any section or part of this Memorandum Circular is declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or provisions not otherwise affected shall remain in full force and effect. Section 7. Repeal. All issuances, ordere, rules, and regulations or parts thereof that ere inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed or modified accordingly Section 8. Sffectivity. This Orde shail take effect immediately, Depart of Again Reform Init