By Erwin Nicavera/Philippine News Agency
The phones were promised by President Rodrigo R. Duterte after he distributed land titles in northern Negros last month. (Photo courtesy of Department of Agrarian Reform-Negros Occidental I)
BACOLOD CITY — A thousand agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in northern Negros have received the mobile phones promised by President Rodrigo R. Duterte after he distributed their land titles last month.
The recipients were among the 2,495 farmer beneficiaries, who were awarded certificates of land ownership award, in a ceremony on March 8 held in Sagay City led by the Chief Executive and Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones.
The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR)-Negros Occidental said in a report that as of Monday, the cellular phones were given in a separate distribution rites led by DAR-Western Visayas Regional Director Stephen Leonidas.
The first batch of recipients includes ARBs from cities of Bacolod, Talisay, Silay, Cadiz and Sagay, and town of E.B. Magalona.
DAR-Northern Mindanao Regional Director Joseph Orilla, who assisted in the delivery of the mobile phones in Negros Occidental, said the distribution of the remaining mobile phones for other ARBs has been scheduled in the coming days.
The President, during his speech in the program held in Sagay City’s Balay Kauswagan, promised to provide fertilizers and mobile phones to each of the recipients of land titles.
He added that he will provide them with a contact number that they can call to file complaint or raise a concern to the government.
The 2,495 ARBs received land titles to 1,609 hectares of acquired land from 141 landowners in eight cities and 11 municipalities in Negros Occidental.
Those from northern Negros included Cadiz City’s 400 beneficiaries; Calatrava, 42; E.B. Magalona, 96; Escalante City, 164; Manapla, 94; Murcia, 216; Sagay City, 331; San Carlos City, 118; Talisay City, 30; Toboso, 180; and Bacolod City, 31.
The beneficiaries from the south comprised of 153 from Bago City; Binalbagan, 37; Hinigaran, 103; Isabela, 54; Kabankalan City, 116; La Castellana, 109; Moises Padilla, 169; and Pontevedra 52.
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