September 7, 2000

DAR MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 13-00

SUBJECT    :     Rationalizing Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) Involvement In The
                           DAR's Foreign-Assisted Projects

BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE

The DAR recognizes the importance of public support in the implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). Formidable partnerships with non-government organizations (NGOs) and people's organizations (POs) have been continuously established at different levels to protect the gains in land distribution, support services and improvements in the lives of Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) in the countryside.   ATCaDE

The DAR encourages meaningful partnership with autonomous societal sectors in land reform and rural development undertakings. It works towards the strengthening of institutional partnership through the establishment of multi-sectoral mechanisms and multi-stakeholders co-initiative approach to promote mutually beneficial collaborative ventures between agrarian reform beneficiaries and societal actors. The key to successful implementation of agrarian reform is the respect for autonomy of societal groups and positive symbiotic relationship between the state and the societal actions under a principled partnership framework.

In view of the increasing number of foreign-assisted projects (FAPs) wherein non-government organizations and other stakeholders are being tapped as the Department's partner, the guidelines on the rationalization of NGOs' involvement in agrarian reform communities (ARCs) under the various FAPs is being issued.

BASIC POLICIES

1.         Partnership at the lowest level of decision-making of the DAR bureaucracy will be the primordial concern to ensure that agrarian reform will continue to move and be more meaningful. At the end of the day, the measure of the program's success will be at the level of the community, barangays, municipalities and provinces — not at the national office. It pays therefore to invest and nurture relationships between the lower levels of the DAR bureaucracy and local communities.

2.         For foreign-assisted projects comprising of multi-components, where technical assistance and community and institutional development interventions are necessary, the DAR through the Project Management Office shall tap the services of the NGOs and other private entities. However, DAR's engagement shall not be limited to a single NGO or any private entity to ensure a multi-stakeholder co-initiative approach.

3.         Regardless of funding source, the selection and contracting of NGO partners and other private entity shall be governed by the Government of the Philippines (GOP) and concerned donor's guidelines and procedures.

All memoranda, circulars and issuances inconsistent herewith are hereby amended or repealed accordingly.   TcEaAS

This Memorandum Circular shall take effect immediately.

Diliman, Quezon City, September 07, 2000.

(SGD.) HORACIO R. MORALES, JR.
Secretary