The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Negros Oriental distributed certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs) to 262 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Mabinay, Negros Oriental.
The new landowners cheered and were thankful as they received their CLOAs “as proof of ownership” during a distribution ceremony on Thursday, April 5 held in Mabinay Spring.
The distributed landholdings involved 35 private agricultural lands with a total area of 388.78 hectares covered under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
The lands are located in 15 barangays namely: Abis, Bugnay, Banban, Pantao, Campanun-an, Himocdongon, Manlingay, Pantao, Mayapusi, Luyang, Hagtu, Old Namangka, Lumbangan,Tara and Inapoy in Mabinay town.
Farmer-beneficiaries Benedicto Redulla and Romulo Delubio of Barangay Lumbangan who used to till the land formerly owned by Romulo Tirambulo said they are thankful to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and the DAR.
“I now have something to leave my children with when I die,” farmer Redulla said.
Another farmer-beneficiary, Norberto Cabalin, of Barangay Manlingay, said that he is grateful for DAR’s program and for giving his family the opportunity to farm the 1.5-hectare land as his own now.
“This [land] will greatly help us in elevating our standard of living, especially for our children,” he added.
DAR Undersecretary for Field Operations Karlo S. Bello led the land title distribution together with DAR-7 Regional Director Alejandro Otacan, Assistant Regional Directors Engr. Eliasem Castillo and Atty. Josephus Baterna, Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer Atty. Louie Naranjo and Mabinay Mayor Ernie “Jango” Uy.
Bello said the department is working hard to give CLOAs to farmers who have tilled the land for years.
“Since there are areas where landowners still resist the CARP, they sometimes tend to be fierce. We have coordinated with the Philippine National Police to continue to give farmers and DAR personnel assistance in dealing with resistant landowners,” Bello added.
In his message, Regional Director Otacan inspired the farmers by telling them that they have now the chance to prosper like every other Filipino and reminded them to give life to the land which gives life to everyone.
Assistant Regional Director Baterna, on the other hand, told the farmers that the title is now a proof of their ownership and emphasized that knowing their rights and obligations will give life to those land titles.
Assistant Regional Director Castillo also noticed that not one person there was frowning and meant that everyone is happy to receive a title.
PARPO Naranjo discussed the rights and obligations of a farmer-beneficiary and ensured them the support services delivery of DAR together with the partnership with other line agencies and the local government unit to make their lands more productive.
Mayor Uy also expressed hopes that with the solution that DAR has introduced, it will help the municipality of Mabinay in increasing their local revenues and on their collection of land taxes.
Other officials present during land distribution ceremony were PARPO I Sherwin Tubog, Mabinay PNP Chief of Police, Police Senior Inspector Felicisimo Aranas Jr., 2Lt Noredin Manguda of the Philippine Army, OIC Chief Agrarian Reform Program Officer (CARPO) for Land Tenure Improvement Division (LTID) Algerico Navarro, Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officers Elizabeth Meneses and Eliseo Salvo, Municipal Councilor Elan Cadayday, Municipal Assessor Bernadeth Guanzon, Municipal Treasurer Elvira Torres, and barangay captains from Campanun-an, Mayapusi,Tara, Himocdongon, and Abis. (Rosanna Gay Visitacion, Regional Information Officer)
